Korean Adoptees Demand Official Apology from Belgian State

A group of around ten South Koreans who were illegally adopted by Belgian families in the 1970s and 1980s are demanding an official apology from the Belgian state, alleging that babies were effectively “bought from a catalog” in a system that facilitated illegal adoptions through opaque circuits and falsified documents. Organized under the banner “Le Cri Du Han” (한의 외침), the adoptees are calling for a parliamentary inquiry commission, access to judicial and administrative archives, full restitution of their files, and official recognition of the abuses they suffered.

Context: A System of International Adoption

Approximately 3,700 South Korean children were adopted by Belgian families between the late 1960s and 1980s. Globally, around 200,000 Korean children were sent abroad for international adoption, primarily to the United States, Europe, and Australia. The program was initially framed as humanitarian relief for war orphans following the Korean War (1950-1953) but, according to extensive investigations by journalists and the South Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission, evolved into a lucrative industry marked by systemic abuses.

According to La Libre Belgique, children were taken from birth parents without consent or under false pretenses, records were falsified to show children as abandoned orphans when they had living parents, and birth dates and identities were deliberately altered. Key organizations involved included Holt Children’s Services in Korea, Terre des Hommes in Switzerland, and Enfants du Monde in Belgium.

The Legal Battle

In March 2025, eight South Korean adoptees filed a criminal complaint with the Brussels public prosecutor’s office against the Belgian state, Terre des Hommes, and Enfants du Monde. The complaint includes charges of forgery, human trafficking, criminal organization, child abduction, use of false documents, and use of intermediaries for financial profit. A ninth person joined the legal action in May 2025.

Walter Damen, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told De Standaard that “the government knew about malpractices. Official records show that it had several contacts with the South Korean government on this matter, to denounce malpractices. But it did nothing to stop international trafficking of children from South Korea.” The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has confirmed the investigation is ongoing.

Personal Testimonies of Trauma

The adoptees have shared harrowing accounts of their experiences. Lee Ok Ruyn (Delphine Hanson), who arrived in Belgium on December 15, 1978, at just four months old, said: “I feel like someone stole my past, my culture, and my identity. I was merchandise. Babies were negotiated like kilos of minced meat.”

Koo Sang Pill, adopted in 1971, described the system bluntly: “There were child abductions, false abandonments, doctored documents. It was a very lucrative business.” Now 59 years old, he added: “We are getting older. Our biological parents may still be alive, but they are not eternal. We need to know the truth now. Not in ten years.”

Mee So, who arrived in January 1989 — her documents falsely stating she was seven months old when she was actually around two years — recounted being sexually abused by her adoptive father. “My adoptive father abused me in the bath. It started when I was very little and lasted until he became sick and impotent,” she said.

Kim (a pseudonym), who arrived in 1978, described being treated as a commodity: “They bought babies from a catalog. Without having had any prior interaction with the child. How is that possible? In reality, they just wanted the label of being parents, but they were incapable of fulfilling that role.” She endured 11 years of psychological therapy, adding: “Without this help, I would have thrown myself under a bridge long ago.”

Yasmine (Chooi Yoon Hee), adopted in 1975 at age five, recalled her adoptive mother telling her she was “found in a trash can” and that she had “cost 100,000 Belgian francs.” She said: “I dreamed of being blonde with blue eyes. Of going unnoticed. To be hidden and not seen anymore. I hated this difference.”

Growing Political and Institutional Response

The South Korean government has already acknowledged the abuses. In March 2025, the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission recognized “human rights violations,” “fraudulent registration of orphans,” “identity falsifications,” and “inadequate control of adoptive parents.” In October 2025, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung offered a “heartfelt apology” for the country’s ill-managed adoption program.

In Belgium, the Flemish government agreed in April 2026 to phase out international adoptions entirely, with new legislation expected by 2027. Flemish Welfare Minister Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) stated: “The safety and well-being of the child must always prevail. Even with the best intentions and thorough screening procedures, this cannot be guaranteed in international adoptions.”

Solayman Laqdim, Belgium’s General Delegate for Children’s Rights, told La Libre Belgique that “the right to know one’s origins is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is a fundamental right, essential for building one’s identity and personality.” He added that “the creation of a parliamentary inquiry commission does not seem illegitimate to me. And symbolically, it makes sense for the Belgian state to apologize.”

Broader International Context

The Belgian case is part of a wider reckoning with international adoption practices. In June 2026, Swiss magazine Beobachter revealed that approximately 2,000 children adopted via Terre des Hommes were illegally placed in quarantine between 1964 and 1979 and allegedly used as guinea pigs for clinical trials and experimental surgeries. The UK has also faced calls for official apologies over forced adoptions, and Chile continues to investigate illegal adoptions during the Pinochet era.

South Korea ratified the Hague Adoption Convention in July 2025, taking effect in October 2025, signaling a shift toward greater regulation. International adoptions have declined sharply worldwide due to increased scrutiny.

What’s Next

The adoptees of “Le Cri Du Han” are now waiting for the Belgian federal government to respond to their demands. Key questions remain: Will Belgium issue a formal apology? Will a parliamentary inquiry commission be established? How many more affected individuals may come forward? And what is the full extent of Terre des Hommes’ involvement in illegal practices?

For the adoptees, the stakes are deeply personal. As Koo Sang Pill put it: “For many adoptees, these answers are essential for finding inner peace and preserving mental health.” The group’s demands extend beyond symbolic recognition — they seek concrete action, including the opening of archives and full restitution of their files, so that the truth of what happened to them can finally be known.