Couple adopted 4-months old girl while in Korea : 7 years later they left her with the social welfare in Hong Kong
Upon recent media coverage this story has caught the attention of lots and lots of adoptees within the international adoptee community. In short, it concerns a Dutch diplomat couple, who turned over their now 7-year old adoptive daughter of Korean bloodline to the Hong Kong social welfare, where the couple is presently stationed.
G.O.A.L. has issued this press release on behalf of the international adoptee community.
"LEGALITY OF ADOPTEE RELINQUISHMENT CASE QUESTIONED
Adoptee community condemns relinquishment, demands accountability from Korean, Dutch governments
December 12, 2007 – The global adoptee community condemns the disruption of an adoption by a Dutch diplomat couple. The couple adopted their Korean daughter as an infant in 2000 while stationed in South Korea.
In 2004 they were transferred to Hong Kong, and in May 2007 they relinquished the daughter to Hong Kong social welfare. The girl’s residency is now in question, as her parents failed to give her Dutch citizenship.
Many adoptees in Korea, the Netherlands and worldwide condemn not only the abandonment, but also the laws and practices –- or lack thereof – that resulted in such a tragedy.
A child is not a returnable product: Adoption is a lifelong commitment.
G.O.A.’L demands a thorough investigation by the Korean and the Dutch governments into this case. Many details of the case are still unclear, leading G.O.A.’L to suspect that standard legal procedures may have been ignored in this adoption. If it is found that this adoption was indeed illegal, the Korean government must pursue all possible measures to punish the wrongdoers without regard to “diplomatic immunity.” The results of the investigations must be made public and reflected as changes in Korean, Dutch and international laws."
About G.O.A.L.:
Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.O.A.’L) is an adoptee-run organization located in Seoul, Korea. G.O.A.’L has been working for Korean adoptees and their rights since its establishment in March 1998, and is a registered NGO under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, registered non-profit organization with Seoul Metropolitan Government and also receives support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
For more information, contact Dae-won Wenger +(82) 2-325-6585 or sg@goal.or.kr.
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First of all, I'd like to ask the Dutch couple:
1. What actually happened?
2. What happened since you've decided to leave your daugther in a foreign country?
and without a citizenship?
3. What were your thoughts on how she'd adjust to the loss of her family, the people she'd been growing up with and attached herself to as her parents?
4. What is your understanding of the term, "adoption"?
5. What were/are your experiences with children and the prerequisites on adopting a child?
6. Would you like to stand up and share your side of the story to the international press? Or should we wait and get the story from the girl, whom you named - Jade?
**************
And I thought "Jade" associates with something very precious...
G.O.A.L. has issued this press release on behalf of the international adoptee community.
"LEGALITY OF ADOPTEE RELINQUISHMENT CASE QUESTIONED
Adoptee community condemns relinquishment, demands accountability from Korean, Dutch governments
December 12, 2007 – The global adoptee community condemns the disruption of an adoption by a Dutch diplomat couple. The couple adopted their Korean daughter as an infant in 2000 while stationed in South Korea.
In 2004 they were transferred to Hong Kong, and in May 2007 they relinquished the daughter to Hong Kong social welfare. The girl’s residency is now in question, as her parents failed to give her Dutch citizenship.
Many adoptees in Korea, the Netherlands and worldwide condemn not only the abandonment, but also the laws and practices –- or lack thereof – that resulted in such a tragedy.
A child is not a returnable product: Adoption is a lifelong commitment.
G.O.A.’L demands a thorough investigation by the Korean and the Dutch governments into this case. Many details of the case are still unclear, leading G.O.A.’L to suspect that standard legal procedures may have been ignored in this adoption. If it is found that this adoption was indeed illegal, the Korean government must pursue all possible measures to punish the wrongdoers without regard to “diplomatic immunity.” The results of the investigations must be made public and reflected as changes in Korean, Dutch and international laws."
About G.O.A.L.:
Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.O.A.’L) is an adoptee-run organization located in Seoul, Korea. G.O.A.’L has been working for Korean adoptees and their rights since its establishment in March 1998, and is a registered NGO under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, registered non-profit organization with Seoul Metropolitan Government and also receives support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
For more information, contact Dae-won Wenger +(82) 2-325-6585 or sg@goal.or.kr.
**********************************************
First of all, I'd like to ask the Dutch couple:
1. What actually happened?
2. What happened since you've decided to leave your daugther in a foreign country?
and without a citizenship?
3. What were your thoughts on how she'd adjust to the loss of her family, the people she'd been growing up with and attached herself to as her parents?
4. What is your understanding of the term, "adoption"?
5. What were/are your experiences with children and the prerequisites on adopting a child?
6. Would you like to stand up and share your side of the story to the international press? Or should we wait and get the story from the girl, whom you named - Jade?
**************
And I thought "Jade" associates with something very precious...
posted by Brit Kim at 3:56 AM
4 Comments:
Don't forget that the couple now has two biological kids. Could that be part of it?
(7) Have you no shame?
and finally
(8) From under what rock did you slime crawl and how was your life of relative prosperity perpetuated?
I chose to post the Press Release from G.O.A.L. as my comment and response to this situation, 'cause it says it all on my behalf - and it encourages/demands that this be taken to a higher level of politics and regulations in order to prevent a similar situation from happening.
Also, the press release is neutral and it is NOT my wish to condem or pursecute people and life's situation where I personally don't know the details on how it could go this / too far.
If a couple adopts a girl at 4 months and keeps her as a daughter for 6 ½ years.. - then the later blessing of unexpected biological children couldn't possibly be a ethical, emotional, validation for terminating the relation to a 'daughter' - in my oppinion -
which is why this story made it into my blogposting in the first place... and which is why I use my list of questions to view this case from different angle to try to see what took place, to seek and to pass on information..
as to 7+8 - I do not approve of the commentators point of view nor the language used.. however, I see it as an honest reaction and full of empathy for the little girl - who's now lost not only her birth parents and her culture, but also her adoptive parents(second primary caretakers) and her connection to her birth country.
and - if let's say, Brangelina suddenly had decided to leave Maddox at the social welfare in Germany after the birth of Shiloh.. what would you say to that?
That is not the first time something like that has happened.
Probably 15 years ago, I read, in a picture book (pre-Internet) about an 11-year-old girl who was available for adoption in Rochester, New York, because her parents decided "the adoption didn't work out." She was Korean, and they had adopted her AS AN INFANT.
I believe they had four other Asian children they adopted, younger than she was. The little girl was a straight-A student, which, to me, showed she tried her very best to be the daughter they wanted.
At the time, my Korean daughter was six or seven, and I couldn't understand how any parent could do such a thing. Unbelievable.
I wasn't in a position to adopt that little 11-year-old girl back then. I wish I was.
Thank goodness most adoptions work out very, very well.
I have a question: Can anyone tell me how to find someone in South Korea? I have a name of a woman I'd like to talk to. I don't know where to start. I've searched the Internet and can't find anything.
Thanks.
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