In 1985, even as Korea’s economy was advancing rapidly, nearly 9,000 South Korean babies were sent overseas for international adoptions. At that time, more than 80 percent given up for adoption were born to single moms, so the link between the moms and today’s adult adoptees is clear.
As a powerful New York Times story detailed, many adoptees have returned in Korea to reclaim a part of their identities and to advocate for the moms. Adoptees believe that removing Korea’s social stigma against raising kids out of wedlock will help moms stay with their babies.
One of them is Shannon Heit (seen on the left). Her Tumblr is a lot of fun if you’re looking for a new follow. Her story is fascinating and told only briefly in my piece this morning. Heit was essentially stolen from her birth mom by her grandmother, given up for adoption behind her mom’s back. In a bid to find her mom, she returned to Korea and went on the American Idol equivalent — K Pop Star — as part of a hunt for her mom. They eventually reunited and her birth mom was there just hours after the birth of her baby son, three months ago.
An interesting and complex story from NPR’s Seoul Correspondent Elise Hu.