Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Beej]

I have seen and heard of some dastardly crap pulled by Koreans, but this is an all time low.

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

An increasing number of Korean parents have their children adopted by Americans working for the U.S. military to enroll them at American schools on army bases, according to parents and school staff.

They say the number of adopted Korean students has recently risen at the Seoul American High School (SAHS), a Department of Defense (DoD) Dependent School at Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul.

``Recently, I saw a sharp rise in the number of adopted Korean students coming to this school. Korean people are very clever, so they do whatever is necessary for the education of their children,'' said a 40-year-old mother of two children in the 9th and 10th grades at the school. ``If you visit immigration agencies in Itaewon, you can find many Koreans trying to have their children adopted by foreigners for education,'' added the woman, who declined to be named.

The school's students and teachers also admitted to the rise in the number of adopted students.

According to the school, about 670 dependents of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Civilian Personnel assigned to Seoul attend the federal public school. Among them, nearly 30 percent are Asians, mostly Korean.

Asked about the deliberately adopted Koreans who attend the school, Assistant Principal Bernard Hipplewith said, ``We have some (adopted Koreans) here. Yes, we have quite a few of them. I don't think we don't have huge problems with them.''

DoD schools were established in 1946 to provide education from kindergarten through grade 12 for the children of American military and Department of Defense (DoD) personnel stationed overseas. Korea has a total of eight DoD schools in Seoul, Daegu, Osan, Pyongtaek and Jinhae.

Some immigration agents in Itaewon work as brokers between Korean parents and Americans.

An immigration agent who has worked in the business since 1974 said many Koreans who have foreign relatives usually have their children adopted by uncles and aunts who hold foreign passports.

``More than 90 percent of my customers wish to send their children to English-speaking schools. I handle three to nine cases per month,'' the agent said. He says he charges some two million won per case as commission.

He said fees parents pay to guardians differ widely. ``When not related to the guardian, the fee depends on how much the guardian requests. Usually, you need to pay step by step when you obtain either U.S. residency or citizenship.''

He said it could easily exceed 200 million won ($150,000). He said it generally takes two-and-half years for an adopted child to get a Green Card post-adoption and another six months to obtain U.S. citizenship.

Moreover, the agent said he has witnessed many children, via ``fake adoption,'' enter other international schools in the area, with many Korean university professors among his main customers.

Eligible applicants to such schools are categorized into four types; Command-sponsored dependents of U.S. military and DoD civilians with orders to Korea and representatives of federally connected contractors; Dependents whose sponsors are employees of the State Department and other U.S. governmental agencies, the Red Cross, USO, and representatives of federally connected contractors; Non-command sponsored dependents of U.S. military; Dependents of private U.S. citizens (including retired U.S. military) and citizens of foreign countries.

The schools charge some $20,000 in yearly tuition, but command-sponsored dependents of U.S. military and DoD civilians and non-command sponsored dependents of U.S. military attend free of charge.

An international schoolteacher there hinted many children adopted by Americans are attending elementary and middle schools. Considering other U.S. military schools outside Seoul, the number of such children could easily be much larger.

A Korean staff member at the school said, ``You know some irregularities always exist wherever you go.''

The Seoul Central District Court sees such irregularities as possible causes of legal disputes. ``Fake adoption for other purposes from Korean parents who are able to look after their children could be legally problematic and there are cases in which courts cancel such adoptions,'' said a judge from a family court in Seoul.

``It could mean the fabrication of documents and abuse of adoption. But we need to take a closer look at cases of international adoption.''

Adoption agencies also expressed concerns. ``This kind of fake adoption could only happen in Korea. A child can be a member of a new family via adoption. We need to think about the meaning and values of family and should know how it influences children when they are removed from their original family registry,'' said Kim Eun-hee, a spokeswoman of Holt Children's Services, a non-profit organization that facilitates domestic and international adoptions. ``At the same time, Korean courts need to thoroughly scrutinize adoption hopefuls, as in other countries, to prevent abuse of the system.''

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[thrylos]

I wonder what the asking price is for 'adopting' a Korean kid?

Anyone know? I'm an American citizen...

[Yesterday]

same thing here - http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=141429

[moosehead]

absolutely despicable. I feel for the kids, tho of course they'll grow up thinking it's perfectly acceptable and go on to do the same thing.

[justaguy]

To quote the famous Rod Roddy "It can be yours if the price is right."

[Smee]

Disgusting, just like the parents who buy residency in poor countries in order to have their children eligible to attend international schools in Korea.

[jvalmer]

Wasted money thinking it's a guaranteed ticket to success. When in reality the kid has a marginally better chance as the poor kid down the street. If it were me, I'd spend the excess money on a nice car.

[Gillian57]

This is just an extension of this trend. I encountered this article a few years back, tried it out in my Teacher's Workshop and managed to irritate everyone there. Guess it is not culturally cool to point out the warts on the noses of the pure Korean culture. When I showed the article to my advanced class of high school students, however, they were all ready to sign up to be adopted... go figure.

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6360dffe15ef254002cf57c037c402de

New Immigration Strategy: Koreans Send Children to America for Adoption
New America Media, News Report, Aruna Lee, Posted: Jan 25, 2006

Editor's Note: Seeking better opportunities and the prestige of an American education for their children, South Korean parents are handing over their kids to retired American couples -- and facing some repercussions, according to Korean media.

SAN FRANCISCO--A growing number of South Korean parents are paying retired couples in the United States to adopt their children. These Korean parents say teaching their children English is a priority, as well as other factors including avoiding compulsory military service for young men and gaining the prestige of an American education.

One out of three Korean parents are willing to send their children abroad for the sake of a better education, according to a study by the Center for Korean Education Development in Seoul in the Korea Times. In the past, parents would ask relatives living in the United States to adopt their children, but more parents are now seeking out Caucasian families.

The Korea Times in Los Angeles reported the story of a Korean woman in Los Angeles on a work visa and employed as a nurse. She wished to bring her two teenage children to the United States from Korea and paid a retired American couple to adopt them.

In a report in the Chosun Daily in Seoul, Mrs. Chung, a cosmetic surgeon wished to send her second grade daughter to America because she says the U.S. school system is better than the one in Korea. She says her daughter often comes home late after studying extra hours at a hakwon, or private school in Seoul. Korean children typically begin preparation for strict college entrance exams as early as grammar school. "When I see my daughter who is always tired from school, I really want her to get an American education," Chung said. "The only thing that works for the situation is to find someone who can adopt my daughter, and I'll pay all expenses for her for the future."

Putting a child up for adoption in the United States allows Korean parents to skirt around normal immigration procedures, a drawn-out process with no guarantee of approval. Parents generally seek retired American couples, whose own children often have left and have room to spare. The American couples receive an agreed-upon sum of money in exchange for adopting the child and providing food and housing. Couples receive upwards of $30,000, with additional payments as necessary to cover room and board for each child they adopt. In return, the child gains legal status in the United States, as well as the privilege of attending American schools.

The Korean birth parents relinquish all legal claims to their children, sending them instead to grow up in a house with people they have never met.

"My neighbors, both of whom are retired, have already adopted three young South Korean kids," says a resident in Los Angeles in the Los Angeles Korea Times. "The kids all come from different families, but are now living as brothers and sisters."

Despite the benefits, some young Koreans adopted in this manner have shown signs of emotional distress, reflected in their schoolwork and behavior at home. Before being adopted, kids meet with social workers in the United States where they must clearly state their preference to live with their newly adopted parents.

Peter Chang, who heads the Korean Family Center in Los Angeles, says kids like this "often grow up feeling betrayed by their parents." Chang says he is becoming increasingly concerned over the negative psychological and emotional effects on young Koreans adopted this way.

"A parent who is putting a child up for adoption has to realize that the school system in America not only looks at education but also the emotional well being of the kids," says Kyung Sook Lee, a reporter from the Korea Daily in San Francisco.

Jeanie, adopted by American parents, wanted to return to her family in South Korea, according to Jung Sik Shin, a Korean lawyer in a report on the Korean-language version of MSN.com. Jeanie was told, however, that she could not leave the country because she had not yet received her U.S. citizenship. According to U.S. immigration laws, a child must remain with his or her adopted parents for two years before he or she is eligible for legal status in the country.

Korean parents must also be prepared for rampant adoption fraud, says Kristi Kim, an immigration lawyer in an interview in the Korea Times in Los Angeles. She points out that brokers, or those responsible for introducing Korean parents to prospective American adopters, have been guilty of unscrupulous practices.

For example, two years ago, Mr. Park, a factory owner in Korea, gave $40,000 to a Korean pastor in the United States to help find adoptive parents for his son already living in Florida. Park had hoped to help his son gain citizenship in the United States and continue his education there. Yet, after paying the agreed amount, the pastor quickly disappeared without providing any assistance to Park or his son. Six months later, Park learned his son was already ineligible for U.S. citizenship through adoption, as he had passed the age of 16. His son remains in the United States illegally, unable to return home to visit his parents.

In a similar case, a 14-year-old girl flew from South Korea to the United States, where she was to meet a broker hired by her parents to bring her to her adopted home. Upon her arrival, however, the broker failed to appear after having received a significant payment.

These are the risks, however, that many Korean parents are willing to take to have their children living in the United States.

Aruna Lee monitors Korean media for New America Media.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

It just goes to show what some Koreans really think of their educational system. If parents had genuine choices for alternative elementary / middle / high schools I'm sure puplic school enrolement would plumet. But then corrupt businessmen would move in and make sure the standard of education dropped to what it is a most hagwons.

[nosmallplans]

my parents just adopted two of my cousins so that they can go to school in the states. it's not like my brother and i are in the system anymore so might as well take advantage of the taxes they're already paying.

i've spoken to several koreans about how they feel about their own school system. they don't like the way you're basically forced to keep up with the joneses via back to back hagwons every night. it just seems that students learn more in less time back in the states. extra tutoring only makes it better.

[Beej]

[jvalmer]

[Countrygirl]

[nosmallplans]

[Countrygirl]