Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mercury]

Has this hit the news in Korea yet?


Mystery over rejected child



Tuesday, December 11, 2007

South Korean consulate officials are wondering why a Dutch couple who adopted a Korean baby, rejected her seven years later.
The adoptive parents, a Dutch diplomat and his wife have cited cultural shock and the girl's unwillingness to eat the food they provide as reasons for giving up the child.

South Korean consular officials noted that the - unnamed - couple said they had failed to integrate her into the family.

A Social Welfare Department spokeswoman said the girl is in foster care.

The Korean consulate spokesman said: "They now have their own children. They decided it was difficult to raise her because of cultural shock. They said she's not willing to eat their food. That's one of the reasons. It's a strange reason. She was raised from a very early age. It's a very uncommon case. It's a difficult situation for us to understand."


The couple had adopted the child at a time the diplomat was serving in Seoul.

South Korea's JoongAng Daily reported that the diplomat's wife had believed she was infertile when the couple adopted the Korean girl in 2000, but conceived after moving to Hong Kong.

The consulate spokesman said the girl has a Korean passport and is not a naturalized Dutch citizen.

He said the girl speaks English and Cantonese but not Korean.

The Hong Kong government has found a school for her.

Social work professor Wong Chack-kie, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the experience will have an adverse impact on the child's future development.

"Their bond would obviously be strong and the child will be suffering from separation anxiety and a feeling of abandonment. There will be a long-term impact on the child's future development because at seven she is in her formative years. She may find it difficult to establish long-standing relationships in the future."

A spokeswoman for the Social Welfare Department said: "The girl is being taken care of by foster parents. We will take the best interests of the child into consideration."

A spokesman for the Netherlands consulate said it was a personal matter. "They had a very hard time with this. For the family involved it's very traumatic," he said.

[mindmetoo]

That's horrible. Weren't these people clear that a foreign adoption is not without struggles? I know a few people who wanted to adopt from Korea but found the wicket closed. Stories like this can only make it harder.

[Milwaukiedave]

It is a sad story. You have to wonder what will happen to the child.

We've talked about adoption, but Korea makes it very difficult (almost impossible) for international couples living here to adopt.

[mikekim]

This is BS. Starve a seven year old and they will eat sawdust and razor blades. Its not like kimchi and rice is in her DNA.

[blaseblasphemener]

I see. Wouldn't want your adopted Korean child ruining your family photo now that you have a "real" child. People like this should be immoliated.

[Zolt]

[ceesgetdegrees]

That excuse really is bullcrap. The adoptive parents may well have screwed this kid for life depending on what happens with the next family/ies. If it was a dog, i'd understand. Anyone seen that show nanny 911, it's never the kids who have the problem, it's always the adults who need to be educated on how to properly deal with them.

[yawarakaijin]

Can you do that? I mean, adopt a child and then a few years later if it's not working out give it back? When you adopt a child you are it's legal parents and gaurdians are you not? If my mom didn't like the way it looked like I was gonna turn out could she have just given me up?

I imagine if a single mother is poor or has some terrible medical condition that prevents her from properly taking care of a child she could give their children up, but can you just give up your child if you don't want it anymore? Is there some kind of legal requirements/prerequisites that have to be met before you give up your child/adopted child?

[ceesgetdegrees]

Yep, a similar thing happened to me as a teen.

[blaseblasphemener]

[Rae]

That is horrible! It's not like they took a pet home from the pound and changed their mind 2 days later! How can anyone adopt a child and raise her for 7 years and just change their mind? Heartless people!

[ceesgetdegrees]

[blaseblasphemener]

[Rae]

[ardis]

I heard about this...what a terrible, terrible story. How old exactly was the child when she was adopted? I was adopted at three months old and never had a problem adjusting. I can't imagine that the baby wouldn't eat the food? ? That sounds absolutely absurd.