Hankyoreh News: “The Shame of Korea’s Orphan Exportation”

I second Made in Korea‘s sentiments regarding this editorial.

The Shame of Korea’s Orphan Exportation

Cho Jeong Lae, writer and Endowed Professor at Dongguk University

There are more than 200 countries on this earth. Among these, the Republic of Korea ranks 12th economically. Every Korean knows this, and brags or gets haughty about it. And why not? Are we not a poor country that had a per capita income of US$80 in the early sixties that has since achieved per capita national income of US$20,000?

It would seem, however, that there are few Koreans who know that this country they are so proud of is the world’s 4th largest orphan exporter. This is because of a social atmosphere in which people ask what use there is knowing such things when you’re busy enough as it is trying to get ahead in life yourself. That, in turn, may be what makes being the 4th largest exporter of orphans more shameful than standing naked. Foreign media have begun criticizing this cruel apathy. "Now that Korea has become an economic powerhouse, it should stop sending adoptees overseas," they say.

Author: JaeRan

Assistant professor at UW Tacoma, writer, and researcher.

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