President Lee Jae-myung issued an apology to adoptees, adoptive families, and birth families on his Facebook on October 2, 2025.

See President Lee’s post here. 

Below is EARS's official response: 

President Lee Jae-myung’s public apology to overseas adoptees and their families, shared ahead of Chuseok, has deeply resonated across our global community. For many, his words offered long-awaited recognition of the pain carried by adoptees, first families, and adoptive families alike, each shaped by decades of separation, secrecy, and loss.

We receive this apology as a meaningful gesture that opens the door for truth-telling, repair, and collaboration. Reconciliation, however, requires more than words. It calls for concrete steps that acknowledge the past and prevent future harm.

As adoptee advocates, descendants, and allies, EARS asks the Korean government to accompany this apology with lasting and measurable action:

1. Guarantee immediate and unredacted access to all adoption records for adoptees, their descendants, and families seeking truth.
2. Establish a reparations process that includes state supported DNA testing, funded family tracing, and mental health and legal support to assist those seeking reconnection and justice.
3. Establish a third Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC3) to investigate human rights violations in adoption and recommend pathways toward justice and restitution.
4. Shift resources from overseas adoption toward family preservation and care-based reform so that no child is ever separated from their family because of poverty, stigma, or lack of support.
5. Create a permanent national archive for all adoption-related files and guarantee long-term public stewardship of these records.

This moment must not become another symbolic gesture that fades with time. It is an opportunity for the Republic of Korea to demonstrate genuine leadership by confronting its adoption legacy with courage and integrity. Adoptees, families, and allies around the world are watching for action that transforms apology into justice.

We encourage all adoptees, first and adoptive families, and community allies to continue this conversation by responding to President Lee’s original Facebook post with your stories, your hopes, and your calls for change. We encourage you to share in your own language, and if possible, include a Korean translation so your message reaches both the president and a wider Korean audience. Together, an apology can serve as the foundation for accountability and collective healing.