Korea Can No Longer Avoid Frank Discussion of Abortion

 

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition)

“…Until the 1960s some 50,000 abortions were performed every year in the U.S. The year after Roe v. Wade, the number surged to 750,000. It rose to 1.6 million in 1980, or about one abortion for every 2.25 live births, and remained at that level since.

According to a 2005 study by the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, an estimated 350,000 abortions are performed in Korea each year, not much less than the 450,000 infants born annually. The medical community believes that the real number of abortions is higher than the official estimate, with some even estimating it to be around 1.5 million per year.

The Korean government implemented aggressive measures to reduce childbirth during the period of rapid industrialization in the 1960s and 70s. Just until 10 years ago, state medical coverage was denied for families giving birth to a third child. Coupled with a widespread preference for male babies, the government and society turned a blind eye to abortions. Now that it has become imperative to raise the country's birth rate, a lot of attention is being paid to the practice. Some experts say that clamping down on abortions and boosting the number of births to 700,000 could solve the low birth rate problem.

Unlike in the U.S. and Europe where the issue is fiercely debated with serious effects on state policies, abortion has largely been kept out of the arena of public discussion in Korea. It was an uncomfortable fact that everybody was aware of.

Recently the Presidential Council for Future and Vision hastily denied media reports that it would include a crackdown on abortions in a policy plan to be announced next week to deal with the low birth rate problem. Abortion is an extremely sensitive issue, which not only involves legal and ethical concerns but also requires considering public perceptions and social attitudes toward it. But we should no longer avoid discussing it openly.
By Chosun Ilbo columnist Oh Tae-jin

Well, indeed…perhaps we shall see the swing back to reducing the number of abortions, whatever the real figures, and the attitudes of the people changing, slowly. Don’t stop praying. Fifty percent of child-bearing women in Korea have had 1 (or more) abortions. This Dirty secret that is not a secret can only change when the Hearts of this nation change. 

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Boarding Bridges-Festival Brings Adoptee Artists Together

Festival Brings Adoptee Artists Together

Kring Cultural Complex-south of COEX shopping center, DaeChidong, Seoul, Rep. of Korea.

The 1st Art Festival of International Korean Adoptees was  organized by GOA’L, Global Overseas Adoptee’s Link. Overseas Koreans Foundation (OKF), and Life Insurance Philanthropy Foundation, Korean Life Insurance Association, are among the many sponsors that helped.

The theme of Boarding Bridges seems to be that of the boarding bridges at airports that one must go through to get onboard a modern jet airplane. The Adoptee artists were joined by other Korean artists who went abroad to other countries to study art, music, dance, etc. They all had similar experiences of travelling to other countries, though in the case of Korean Adoptees it was under very different circumstances, to say the least.

Belgian guitarist Denis Sungho Janssens was the festival's art director. The curator was Lee Min Young and was assisted by Lee Hangsoon. PR was handed by Cho KyuSook and sponsored by Fleishman-Hilliard. Marc Champod was in charge of Installation installing (?). Translators included Monica Kim and Sebastien Vanderlinden (Park KeeKwang). Numerous GOA’L staff worked countless hours before, during, and after the event. Many Korean volunteers also gave time and energy to bring success to the event.

The booklet is full of excellent commentary on the purpose of the event. The KWB quotes just some:

“The term of “global Korean” is actually describing Korean adoptees very well. Being Korean (by origin) but being American, French, German, etc. defines the lives of many adoptees. But here again, every adoptee has his/her own definition of their identity…it is my hope that this festival contributes to the acknowledgment of the world wide Korean Adoptee community by the Korean society and to the mutual understanding between the two.” GOA’L Secretary General DaeWon Wenger

“I truly congratulate you on the 1st Art Festival of International Korean Adoptees…There are about 7 million Korean people that are living abroad, away from the land they were born and many of them have gone through the history of adversityies to be where they are today…it is my wish that they (international adoptee artists) can interact with many Korean artists through culture and art as “Koreans”. Overseas Koreans Foundation President Kwon Yeong Geon

“Since it’s establishment in 1998, Global Overseas Adoptee’s Link has been a strong supporter for the families of adoptees visiting Korea…Korea Life Insurance Association has gather together to support…in the hope of helping Koreans and Korean adoptees to better understand each other…” Korea Life Insur. Pres. Lee Woo Chul

Curator Lee Min Young wrote:

“When I was given the burdensome duty to program the 1st Art Festival for GOA’L, I could not help thinking about the unique identities of adoptees beyond the realm of art…I found that they look just like me, but they certainly are foreigners that use different languages, gestures, and that even walk differently. After a few minutes of conversation I realize…they are the witnesses of Korea’s past history that we have forgotten. It is time we find them in our forgotten history and offer our hands of reconciliation…Boarding Bridges brings multinational artist that have been raised in different cultures…I feel refreshed by more delicate sensibilities of their diverse expressions and narratives…with cold-hearted keenness to observe the reality with endless questioning of their identities and the emotions which they were able to experience more vividly as social minors such as anger, happiness, solitude, beauty, and sadness…each individual artist focuses on their personal stories and “presence” has become an important theme .” Curator Lee MinYoung

Next post, the Korean War Baby will present Art Director Denis Sungho Janssens words. Also a brief of each artist, musicians, dancers, who were part of this Art Festival that attempts to create Boarding Bridges.

BBC NEWS | UK | UK child migrants apology planned

“Gordon Brown is to apologize for the UK's role in sending thousands of its children to former colonies in the 20th century, the BBC has learned.
Under the Child Migrants Programme - which ended just 40 years ago - poor children were sent to a "better life" in Australia, Canada and elsewhere.
But many were abused and ended up in institutions or as labourers on farms.
Officials are consulting with survivors of the programme so that a statement can be made in the new year.
On Monday, Australia's prime minister will apologise to the 7,000 UK migrants living there for the mistreatment.
BBC NEWS | UK | UK child migrants apology planned
The KWB had heard of this before but today, Nov. 15, 2009 Sunday it is headline news on BBC and all the major mainstream media. BBC has done many articles on the history of this Child Migrants Programme.
Ordeal of Australia's Child Migrants
“Most were deported without the consent of their parents, and commonly, mothers and fathers were led to believe that their children had been adopted somewhere in Britain.
On arrival in Australia, the policy was to separate brothers and sisters.
And many of the young children ended up in what felt like labour camps, where they were physically, psychologically and often sexually abused.”
On Monday the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will deliver a national apology to a group known as the "Forgotten Australians".
In so doing, he will recognise, on behalf of the Australian government, the ongoing suffering of some 500,000 people held in orphanages or children's homes between 1930 and 1970.
At the same time, Mr Rudd will also say sorry to some 7,000 child migrants from Britain who live still in Australia - castaways of the empire.
The horrors of life for “castaways” from societies, mistreated from some very bad policies. The case for Korean Adoption is NOT exactly the same. It was though more convenient for past Korean governments to send the unwanted- mixed-blood children, girls because they were not sons, unwed mother’s children, disabled or special needs children, etc.
In the case of UK and Australia, the reasons were similar but different. One cannot draw exact parallels to ALL cases from Korea. By the way, The Korean War Baby says “may God judge those who have or would mistreat the widow and orphans.” The Bible has many verses such as these:

Deu 24:17  "Do not deprive foreigners and orphans of their rights; and do not take a widow's garment as security for a loan.”
Mal 3:5 - “And I will come near you to judgment. And I will be a swift witness against…those who extort from the hired laborer's wages, and turning away the widow, and the orphan, the alien, and not fearing Me, says Jehovah of Hosts.”
Isa 1:23 (GNB) 23- “Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend orphans in court or listen when widows present their case.”

The KWB knows that one does not trifle with HIM, lightly or you pay the consequences.

Reform of Adoption Laws-Public Hearing

A generation fights to reform adoption laws - INSIDE JoongAng Daily

“Six Korean adoptees filed an appeal with the Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission last year to request a probe into irregularities in their adoption documents and possible illegal procedures at local adoption agencies.

The Korean War Baby supports TRACK and ASK, in the spirit of finding Balance and correcting possible wrongs, in This Thing of Ours-Adoption. He believes that everything possible must be done to prevent abuse, kidnapping, falsifying of papers, etc. However, there are many sides to the issues, and all must be heard. Balance can come only after hearing all sides.

It is NOT always the fault of Adoption Agencies, for instance, in the past a child could be abandoned in a public place, kidnapped, ‘given up’ by another family member, and just ‘taken to a police station’. A police report could be made out and “viola”, a child is reported as abandoned. Were children abandoned like this by birthmother? YES. So the answer is a more stringent process of verifying that a child is Not missing. Korea should establish websites for parents to check if their child is missing. For one of the most “wired nations in the world this can be easily done” as the Chinese have just done.

The actual number of cases is low, but it is not important as it is the prevention of such irregularities, abuses, and possible illegal procedures from occurring again in the present and future. Korea signing the Hague Conventions on Adoption and Child Rights would be moves in the right direction.

“Adoptee rights and community groups as well as unwed mothers, the public interest law firm Gong-Gam and Democratic Party Representative Choi Young-hee have joined forces with the adoptees in an effort to convince lawmakers to revise the Special Law Relating to the Promotion and Procedure of Adoption.”

“The proposed bill starts with the idea that foreign, and even domestic, adoption is not the best option for children and that public assistance should be given to mothers to help them raise their children, a concept that follows international adoption practices. It also incorporates the notion that adoption processes need to be more strictly regulated to prevent possible abuses by adoption agencies.

Once more the KWB must point out that it is faulty processes in the past that may have permitted problems. Some cases, more than the six in the law suit of course, have been found to have irregularities. We must refrain from suggesting “All” Adoptions were “robbing babies from their mother”. The inconvenient truth is that due to Korean Society, religions, and strong conservative Family values, a woman is hard pressed to raise her child even in ‘modern times’.

It is “Social prejudices” that are similar in Western societies in the 1950 and ‘60s on many issues that WILL continue to change. Since Divorce became ‘easier and more excepted’ many women’s rights have had to be revised. Names on Family Registry being changed if a divorced woman remarries would have been unnecessary just ten years ago…women did not have the right to be head of household until recently. Child Care for Single Women will have to improve and will help Unwed mothers, who are small in number.

In the end, Laws must be changed, then slowly and hopefully Hearts and Minds of the Korean People will follow. As President Barrack H. Obama recently said, "Change is hard". Hmmm, for once the KWB agrees with his adoptive country's president. See, that is being openminded, seeking balance, and listening to Everyone.

This Thing of Ours-Adoption

IMDb Internet Movie Database
This Thing of Ours

FBI on Organized Crime
La Cosa Nostra

La Cosa Nostra is the foremost organized criminal threat to American society. Literally translated into English it means “this thing of ours.” It is a nationwide alliance of criminals—linked by blood ties or through conspiracy—dedicated to pursuing crime and protecting its members.

Why does the Korean War Baby use this term “This Thing of Ours-Adoption”? Now some have claimed that ALL adoption is bad, that it separates children from their mothers. In some cases indeed mother's gave up their child due to pressure from Family, religious groups, society, lack of government support. It is also true that because the woman was not married she would find it difficult to raise her child. In a few cases the child was literally 'thrown into garbage or toilets'. There is a huge number of reasons that mother and child are separated.

"This Thing of Ours" had great implications because of its meaning represents the Bonds and Close ties that link together all those involved. In the Mafia to say "this is a Friend of MINE" simply meant he was someone who did business with the Family of the "Made Man". A Made Man was a member of the local Family, not just a friend of mine. For another Made Man to be introduced it was said "This is a Friend of OURS" showing he was accepted and sworn to allegiance to "This Thing of OURS". 

"This Thing of Ours-Adoption" also goes beyond just blood-ties, it is transcended by love for those who are not related by blood, the Adoptive Parents and Family. Some have used the term "Adoption Triad" to show the interrelationship of 1- Adoptee 2 Birth Mother/Father/Family then 3 Adoptive Parents/Family. 

This Thing of Ours-Adoption, includes more than the typical Adoption Triad-Adoptee, Birth Mother/Family, Adoptive Parents/Family. For it includes the governments of Sending and Receiving countries, social welfare ministries/workers, Adoption Agencies, Aid Agencies, United Nations groups, Law Enforcement, Judicial systems, etc.It includes the society of both Sending and Receiving countries. The THING is huge, when you look at extended family members even. The KWB feels related to all his numerous cousins-by-adoption, yet longs to meet (if they want to) his Birth Family members.



Like “La Cosa Nostra”,  This Thing of Ours-Adoption is very complex, undergoing changes over the years, hopefully to eliminate the wrongs done by some who would profit from child-laundering, kidnapping, etc. But these are NOT all the cases, in fact there is NO ALL at all.

Spectrum of difference within

There is a spectrum of colors that represent so many aspects and different cases. White Light is full of all the colors and a Prism bends or refracts the white light into its various elements. In Adoption there are also many different experiences, from the great to horrible, the good, the bad, ugly, and beautiful. Do mestic and Inter-Country adoptions, secret, open, closed, within families only, transracial, the list of variations are enormous and well, different yet similar. Commonality overlaps in many cases. The tragedies of life affect even "normal" families with divorce, death, illnesses, attachment disorders, incest, etc.
 
The KWB sees though, in the majority of cases Adoption is an answer, not the best but the next best for a child who is, for one reason or another given up, abandoned, thrown away, without relatives who WANT it, and simply needs a loving home.

Adoption faces issues that Psychologists, Behavior Analysts, Psychiatrists, Social Worker, etc have learned from many years of study. PAP (Prospective Adoptive Parents) are given much more information on helping their adoptive child to adapt, understand and discuss their adoption questions, when and how to deal with it...Resources are much better and the internet gives blogs, websites, book lists, whatever is needed can be found.


In some 10% of adoption cases in the U.K. result in "failed adoptions" and there are other examples. But what of the other 90%? Are they perfect, of course not. Life is not perfect nor are parents. A good friend of the KWB once remarked that his newborn child did not come with a "manual".

Abandonment Issues 


Each child does suffer within from the abandonment and separation from its natural birth mother. But to blame adoption for all these seems to be too much.
Abortion, institutional life, foster home, slavery conditions in their home country…what adoption DOES do it give a chance for a home. Whether it is done in secret or closed conditions (as in Korea) or with ethnically related parents, the fact is that thousands of trans-racial adoptions have been “Successful”.
Surveys only touch on a tiny section, even the Evan Donaldson Adoption Institute (AdoptionInstitute) has surveys of only 500 adoptees. There are some recent finding by them that give recommendations to improve on the process. But some surveys have taken only 11 USA adoptees and extrapolated results to apply to many thousands! What is that? How can 11 represent so many, impossible even for the KWB’s low math skills to comprehend.

The reasons for “giving up for adoption” are numerous, circumstances and pressures come into play. Any one reason cannot apply to the “ALL”, each part of the Spectrum has different facts, stories, etc. that does NOT apply to others in “This Thing of Ours-Adoption”. In seeking Balance though ALL stories must be examined and weighed, in context with the Whole, the White Light of "This Thing of Ours-Adoption".


It is written in the Bible, Koran, Hebrew scriptures, and other holy books of major religions, "Seek and you will Find". We should/can/must seek the whole truth from all the "colors contained within". The KWB does NOT know all the facts, please send him your information, links, opinions. A consensus can be found. (Again, the KWB sure likes the Spell Check/Word suggestions/Dictionary/Google Search, etc Tools that help us all find Knowledge- and he would be helpless without them. He even has an online bible program to search for verses...)

Real Support for Unwed Moms

 
By Jennifer Kwon Dobbs -Jennifer Kwon Dobbs is an assistant professor at the English department, St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. She can be reached at www.jkwondobbs.com.
Korea Times newspaper:

“In today's adoption world, South Korea is no longer the largest sending country. Yet, why does it remain the world's oldest sending country in modern adoption history?
To address this undesirable legacy, the South Korean government has attempted to promote domestic adoption with mixed results.”
Real Support for Unwed Moms
The KWB presents all views, though he is open to other’s opinions he does not endorse everything. In seeking a balanced consensus we must review all aspects of “This Thing of Ours-Adoption”. Please read the whole article, then compare with other stories. Do you have a similar or contrasting story? Send your account to the koreanwarbaby@gmail.com

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