Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway

The International Adoption of South Korean Children

Clara Haugland

The international adoption of South Korean children started as a result of a large number of  children left in orphanages after the Korean War in 1953. Many of those children were mixed-race. The situation after the war was very turbulent because Korea was left with major economical and infrastructure damages, and the country needed to rebuild itself. It was also considered a taboo to be a single parent, especially with mixed-race children.

Seeing the necessity to help the children left in orphanages, many associations and Christian organizations from the US showed  interest in adopting those children, especially to the US and Europe. Harry Holt and his wife Bertha traveled to South Korea to adopt 8 children in 1955. After passing a law through Congress, they started The Holt International Children’s Service, specialized in finding homes for Korean children. The organization now helps parents from all over the world.

Today I will tell the story of two young men, Simon Njåstad and Tae Yung Kim. Both live in Bergen and I had the privilege to listen to their stories and will share their experiences. 

(Simon)

I met Simon when he was working in a Korean restaurant in Bergen. I was doing some promotion for them and he was working there as a waiter. I asked him if he'd be interested in talking to me about his experience as a Korean adoptee and he said yes. Simon told me that he comes from Donghae. When growing up, he knew he was Korean but didn't think much about it. He only felt himself somewhat as a stranger, sometimes, among the native Norwegian people. He knew he looked different, which enhanced his need for belonging, and when he became older, he decided he wanted to learn more about his biological parents. He got the support from his Norwegian mother and aunt who said that it would be a good idea to meet them, and his mom provided him with his adoption journal. There, he read an explanation of why his mother had decided to adopt him away and some other information about his two previous foster mothers in South Korea.

While many people might feel uncertain about their feelings concerning meeting their biological parents and the outcome, Simon wanted to take that chance. He then took contact with Holt* and told them when he'd be coming to Seoul and that he wanted to meet his mother and find his adoption number as well. In a few days, they gave him feedback on his case. By that time, Simon had already come to Korea. Holt had called his mother on a Friday, but she didn't pick up the phone because she was at work. She then called them back through the entire weekend but couldn't reach them before Monday. On the same Monday, Holt contacted Simon and they arranged a meeting on Wednesday the same week with his mother. The social worker contacted him every day until their meeting was settled.

Simon's story was really special. His mother found out she was pregnant with him after she and his father parted from each other. They were both students and his father was going to study in Canada, so they agreed to end their relationship. Adoption felt like the right choice for her at the moment, since she couldn't afford raising him alone. They met again after he was done studying and this time they both decided to form a family together. Simon has two more siblings from their biological parents and has since had the opportunity to reunite with his family several times in Korea. He also plans to move to South Korea for a while and learn more about his family, mother language and culture. "I am eternally grateful for Holt and all they did for giving me an opportunity to meet and have a relationship with my biological parents." - Simon Njåstad

(Tae Yung)

Once, in a Korean restaurant in Bergen, I met this charismatic young man who was waiting for
his takeaway meal. I introduced myself and told him I was doing a documentary film on the
Korean community in Norway. I then asked if I could have an interview with him and if he could
tell me more about his experience as a Korean adoptee in Norway. We met a few days later and
started filming. He told me that he was adopted and described what it was like for him to grow
up in a different culture. He has had supportive parents; however every time he looked in the
mirror he asked himself whether he was Norwegian, because everybody told him he was, or
Korean, looking from his appearance.

Looking “different” during his teenage years was not always easy. As a teenager, he felt the
need of belonging. Back then, Psy, the K-pop star, had just launched the hit “Gangnam Style”.
The song became instantly popular worldwide and people were very curious about his culture.
He felt he had finally made a connection to something he did not know before, but was still
skeptical if that popularity was only because of his origin. Tae-Yung has thought of his biological
parents many times but tries to move on by not thinking so much about it. He sometimes
wonders what it would be like to meet them, how that would feel, and how they would feel about
meeting him. Those questions have haunted him many times, but he is not sure if he really
wants to know the answer in case things turn out different from his expectations. During our
interview, I noticed that he got emotional a few times. I could not help but feel emotional myself.
I looked in his eyes through the lenses and tried to be professional by hiding my emotions, but I
felt empathetic. We took a break for a few minutes and then continued to film. Tae-Yung told me
he has become a father and his son was only a month old. When he talked about it, I saw his
eyes shining. He told me that one thing he knows for sure is that he is incredibly happy that his
son will grow up with both a mother and a father, and that he will always be there for him. I then
asked him if he would someday take his son to meet his grandparents in South Korea, and he
answered that it is for him to decide.

We then finished our interview, he put on his jacket and told me he needed to run to meet his
(Norwegian) father. I think many adoptees want to know what it is like to meet their biological
family and experience their birth culture but are perhaps afraid of the unknown and the
unexpected outcome.

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Simon (middle) with his mother (right) and his Norwegian Mother (left), Seoul, South Korea 2016.

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Tae-Yung and his son, Bergen 2020.

Holt International Children’s Service is an international adoption agency founded in 1955 by Harry Holt to help children from South Korea.