Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pkang0202]

[definitely maybe]

[Unposter]

Congratulations and all the best to you!!!

[radcon]

[Captain Corea]

I would hope not, buts that's a pretty reasonable question.

[rowdie3]

Big congrats as well!

I too wish the adoption laws would ease up for in country adoptions. I would adopt as a single parent in the next two years if it was possible here. Definitely possible in China, so will go that route if Korea is still as strict when the time comes.

Congrats again!!

[Dazed and Confused]

[quote="Swampfox10mm"]That's wonderful. A few of my uni students volunteer at some huge orphanage in Seoul. They said it's like 4 floors full of kids, and they all are desperate just to be held. It sounds terrible. I would probably get all emotional in a place like that. I guess nobody wants anything to do with the half-foreign babies. Poor kids.[/quote]

Only children who have been relinquished by their parents or declared by the courts that they are orphans can be adopted. My husband does volunteer at an orphanage and the children there aren't available for adoption. Often children end up in orphanages because of poverty or divorce. Sometimes their parent/s are in prison, handicapped, or suffering from long term illnesses. Some of the children do know their parents and visit them from time to time. Other kids are left there to languish in a hellish limbo. I can guess that this orphanage is full of such children. From what I've seen the volunteers and workers try to get the kids the best education and start in life but often the resources aren't there. Many of these kids do have goals in life and would love to go on to university but they can't compete with the middle/higher class kids that get sent away to hogwon hell each day. If you really want to make a difference in an orphanage kid's life then make a one year commitment to tutoring them.

[Dazed and Confused]

[quote="radcon"][quote="Dazed and Confused"]I'm the wife in this couple! [/quote]
Oh. I have repeatedly heard that interracial couples were not allowed to adopt. Do you think it made a difference that in your case the husband was Korean?[/quote]

Yes! That's what we heard to. When we first began looking into adoption we called the government office that handles adoption cases. The phone call went something like this:

DH: I'm a Korean citizen and my wife is American. Can we adopt?

Korean: Uhmm I don't know.

DH: Is there a law that says we can't?

Korean: Uhmmm well.....

DH: Is there or not?

Korean: No but.....

DH: What???

Korean: Why doesn't your wife just become a Korean citizen and then you can adopt easily.

DH: Because she's American and American passports are better in some ways than Korean passports.

Korean: But she can just change her nationality. No problem.

DH: THere's no advantage to a Korean passport for her. Okay I understand if she was from China or Vietnam a Korean passport would be better but she's American. Can we adopt or not? Is there a law that says we can't.

Korean: No there isn't a law that says you can't adopt but........she could just change her nationality.

Dh: (head explodes)

My husband and I did speculate that it was easier because he's a Korean man. We never came out and asked directly but this is Korea....I really don't know.

[Dazed and Confused]

[quote="rowdie3"]Big congrats as well!

I too wish the adoption laws would ease up for in country adoptions. I would adopt as a single parent in the next two years if it was possible here. Definitely possible in China, so will go that route if Korea is still as strict when the time comes.

Congrats again!![/quote]

It is possible for singles to adopt domestically in Korea. There are age requirements, though. The problem seems to be with the embassy. When I was looking at US immigration laws it clearly stated that only married couples could adopt from Korea. However, US citizens can be single and adopt from China!

[Lolimahro]

This is a little off topic, but OP do you know anything about foster care in Korea, what it takes to become a foster parent, etc? I assume, of course, that one has to be a Korean citizen, but I'm still rather curious about it.

[Dazed and Confused]

I think your best answer would come from an adoption agency.
All the babies at Holt were placed in foster care when they were relinquished by their parents and given a clean bill of health by the doctor. My son was with his foster family from 10 days old (when he was released fromm the hospital) till he came to live with us.

[Died By Bear]

That was awesome OP, just an aside though; there is an age limit so be sure to do your adoption before age 40.

[12ax7]

[Dazed and Confused]

[quote="Died By Bear"]That was awesome OP, just an aside though; there is an age limit so be sure to do your adoption before age 40.[/quote]

Where and when did you get this information? Korea allows domestic adoption above the age of 40 and the US Embassy allows internatiomnal adoption for couples under 45.

[Died By Bear]