Why so Many Orphans?
When I count my blessings, I sometimes remember to be thankful that I am not one of the estimated 17,000 orphans in Republic of Korea. If I were, my day-to-day life, emotional peace of mind, and future prosperity wouldn’t have the same glow of hope or potential, instead would be wrought with survival concerns, longing to belong somewhere, and bleak prospects. Many orphans in South Korea, as in other nations, are deprived of opportunities to escape poverty, means to pursue the kind of life other children enjoy, and affectionate interaction with primary caregivers that is common for children with parents.
In a country of over fifty million people with less than 1% population growth (World Bank, 2013), South Korea boasts the 11th largest economy in the world that enjoys economic prosperity and constitutional democratic government. So why are there so many orphans in South Korea? And why don’t Koreans adopt these kids which account for just over three in ten thousand people? Surely one person in 3,500 would open his or her heart and home to a child without parents…or would they?
In Australasia, the United States, and Europe, they would and do and have for decades. But if we step into the shoes of native Koreans, our perspective shifts to conform to teachings handed down through generations as well as centuries of unbending cultural tradition. Koreans are taught from birth the importance of paternal bloodlines and keeping family lineage pure and undisturbed. Anything less, including adoption, is a huge Thou-Shalt-Not. Just as the National Party and Labour Party of New Zealand don’t mix, in South Korea, orphaned children and biological children don’t either. Even bringing up the topic of adopting a child is met with disapproval from friends and family members. Those few families that adopt anyway want very young babies and frequently disguise the circumstances to mimic a live birth so as to avoid the stigma, reproach, and criticism (Korean Times, 1997).
Historically, Republic of Korea has the highest per capita international adoption rate of any country: over 162,000 children between 1953 and 2009 (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2015). As the economy improved in the 1980s, many Koreans expressed shame that over 2/3 of the country’s adoptions were foreign. The emerging thought was that a prosperous country should be taking care of its own children, not farming them out abroad. This trend led to a government quota system being implemented in 1987 that mandated an annual progressive 3–5% reduction in foreign adoptions, so that the number would decrease to zero by 2015. Well, it is 2015 and the plight of orphans is worse than ever. Their hearts were in the right place, but the lawmakers failed to consider the impact of tradition. South Korea has all but closed off opportunities for international adoption, but their own citizens have not embraced the call to change their value system, eliminate their discriminatory behaviour, and revise their attitudes. Until they do, orphans in South Korea will remain homeless waifs struggling to survive, or wards of underfunded orphanages, wanting desperately to hear someone say, “Woo-ree jeep-eh ohn guhl hwan-yung-heh,” translated, “Welcome to our home!”
If you wish to help www.wooree.co.nz
