Please Read If You Are A KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee.

Please Note: This Page May Be Best Viewed On A Laptop.

If You Need Help With This Process or Have Questions, Please Contact Us. Please Read This Page FIRST. We are happy to help you for FREE if you are a KSS Adoptee!

Please Note: We HIGHLY Recommend KSS Adoptees Request A Birth Family Search and / or Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary By EARLY 2025! ALL KSS Files Move To The Korean Government Agency NCRC Starting in July 2025! Read More Here.

KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY can submit an official request via email to KSS for a copy of their Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary. This is a document that most KSS Adoptees are unlikely to have in their possession - it is a secret document which KSS kept from the time of the Adoptee’s original relinquishment without telling Adoptive Parents or Adoptees about its existence or how to request it. Because KSS no longer processes adoptions, KSS appears willing to provide this document for KSS Adoptees, but only if the Adoptee knows how to OFFICIALLY request it via the “Option D” method described in the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” below. (Please note that those KSS Adoptees who are interested in simultaneously requesting a birth family search should ALSO check Options A, B, and C in addition to Option D).


Please see the NEW “Illustrated Step By Step Guide To Initiating Or Continuing a Birth Family Search Through KSS” below!


Even if an Adoptee visits KSS in person, KSS most likely will NOT tell the Adoptee about the Korean Adoptive Child Study’s existence, nor how to request it.


All of the simple steps to follow to request the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary are in the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” below this section. The process basically requires submitting 2 forms to KSS if you are an adult, and 3 forms to KSS if you are a minor. Be sure to include a copy of your photo ID (current Western Passport or Drivers License) in your email to KSS.

Even if a KSS Adoptee has previously visited KSS in person, or previously submitted forms to conduct a Birth Family Search through KSS, the KSS Adoptee can still re-submit the same forms AGAIN via email to KSS at any time and check "Option D" next to which they should write "Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary". (You can also request other types of documents, but we recommend requesting documents one by one (you can keep re-submitting the same “Option D” form after you have made your initial request and received the requested documents from KSS) and starting with the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary. Please see STEP 5 of the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” below for more info. All of the steps a KSS Adoptee should follow are in the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” below.


Please know that IF there is birth parent information in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, you can request a NEW Birth Family Search ONCE PER YEAR. When KSS says that your case is “closed” after one birth family search attempt, they mean for ONE YEAR only.

KSS will typically provide the Adoptee with a (partly redacted) copy of the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary within 1-4 weeks of the formal “Option D” request. While any birth parent name/s and birthdate/s will be partly redacted due to Korean privacy law, IF the Adoptee’s Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary contains birth parent information, KSS can do a birth family search in cooperation with NCRC (the National Center for the Rights of the Child), based on the UNREDACTED information from the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary. KSS / NCRC can conduct a birth family search upon Adoptee request ONCE PER YEAR. Please see this related page for more info on the KSS / NCRC birth family search process:

Demystifying The KSS (Korea Social Service) Birth Family Search Process.

Please note that KSS / NCRC can conduct a NEW birth family search attempt ONCE per year. Just because the first attempt is unsuccessful, does not mean that the Adoptee cannot try again through KSS / NCRC each following year. However, KSS often tells Adoptees after one failed birth family attempt that their case is “closed”. This is not true. Adoptees can request for KSS / NCRC to conduct a NEW birth family search once per year IF there is birth parent information in the Adoptee’s Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary.


Something VERY important to understand: If you are a KSS Adoptee who has requested and received your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, and IF this Korean ACSS has REDACTED birth parent names, age/s, or birthdate/s, you can consider going to POLICE in Korea and asking the POLICE to contact KSS to obtain the UNREDACTED birth parent information so that the police can do a search through their NATIONAL DATABASE. Every major Korean Police Station has a Missing Person’s Unit and you can go to police with your passport, copies of your adoption documents, and most importantly - a translator - and request that the police contact KSS to obtain your birth parents’ information in order to conduct a search. Please see NEW! STEP 9 below for more information.

Recently, a number of KSS Adoptees have had reunions with birth family after following the advice on Paperslip and communicating with us on the KSS Cribmates forum on Facebook. Please note that in order to join KSS Cribmates, you must answer the membership questions to prove that you are a KSS Adoptee. If you are not sure, you can contact us.

KSS never tells Adoptees (nor anyone else) how to request the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary. Even if a KSS Adoptee has visited KSS in person, but does not know about the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, KSS will not mention it. However, if an Adoptee knows how to request it via the "Option D" Method, KSS has NOT so far denied the request. So far KSS has not denied any request for an existing Korean Adoptive Study Summary that we know of. 

The Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary is the document most likely to contain birth parent and / or sibling names, as well as more accurate information about where an Adoptee was born or found. 

However, not everyone’s Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary contains birth parent and / or sibling names.

Unfortunately the only way to find out is to officially request the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary per the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” below.

Thousands of KSS Adoptees believe that they were "abandoned" and found with a "paper-slip" or "memo" or at a “police station” with "birth parents UNKNOWN", based on the often (thought not always) FALSIFIED orphanization information in their English adoption documents. However, KSS is now willing to provide (a partly redacted) copy of the sometimes more truthful KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary, which may - though does not always - contain birth parent and sibling information. Even if this document does not contain birth parent information, it very often contains more truthful information about where the Adoptee was born / found, which is often not contained in the Adoptee's English (often false) adoption documents, such as the English Adoptive Child Study Summary. 

All KSS Adoptee Files are currently stored at KSS’ Post Adoption Services Building in Seoul. However, ALL KSS files will be moved from KSS to the Korean Government Agency NCRC starting in July 2025! For now, you can schedule an in-person file review at KSS in Seoul. You will need to check KSS’ Calendar before scheduling an appointment. Please see:

Contact + Appointment Info for KSS - Korea Social Service - Korean Adoption Agency

You can also initiate a Birth Family Search AND request your KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary (at the SAME time) through KSS by filling out their forms and submitting them to KSS via email (see info. below). KSS Adoptees can request a NEW birth family search through KSS ONCE PER YEAR, even if you have already conducted a Birth Family Search with KSS. Please note that the amount of information KSS Adoptees are able to receive varies greatly per person.

KSS additionally has the majority of files on microfiche on their computers at KSS’ Post Adoption Services building in Seoul.

Gaining access to a KSS Adoptee’s complete adoption file is often very difficult, but varies greatly from case to case.

We highly recommend that you contact us prior to starting your Birth Family Search with KSS. We are happy to offer tips and advice.

Step by Step KSS Birth Family Search.

1. Request a birth family search through KSS by checking Options A, B, and C on the appropriate KSS form. Be sure to also request your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS by checking Option D and writing next to it “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary”.

In other words: Check ALL Options A, B, C and D and next to Option D write: “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” if you want to BOTH request a birth family search AND your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary at the SAME time. This is what you SHOULD do IF you have interest in birth family search.

*UPDATE: Please see the NEW “Illustrated Step By Step Guide To Initiating Or Continuing a Birth Family Search Through KSS” below!

Learn about the often profound differences between the (often false abandonment) information about your Origin contained in the ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary vs. the (often more truthful) information about your origin often contained in the KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary, and see examples of the different styles of these documents here.

Important Note! Even if you have previously initiated a Birth Family Search with KSS or even visited KSS multiple times in the past, you can still continue your birth family search at KSS by re-submitting the “Application for Post-Adoption Services (KSS)” form and checking “Option D” and writing Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary next to “Option D” as the document you are requesting. Please see Step 7 of the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” below for complete instructions on what to do.

Please be absolutely sure to grant KSS permission by email for ANY birth family members to contact you.

If you do not grant this permission, KSS will NOT put you in touch with your birth family, even if they have tried to find you by visiting or contacting KSS. It does not appear that KSS requires any special form for this request, and that you can simply email them that you grant KSS permission for ANY birth family members to contact you (birth parent/s, sibling/s, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc).

The Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary is the KSS document most likely to contain the most truthful information about your origin. This document sometimes, but not always, contains birth parent name/s, sibling name/s, or the location of where you were born or found (such as maternity clinic). This document is NOT a document you would have unless you have specifically requested it from KSS, or KSS has given it to you in the past (which in MOST cases, they have not). The vast majority of KSS Adoptees do not have the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, and do not know that it exists.

2. Get your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary translated.

Once you receive your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS via email, get it translated right away. We can refer you to a paid translator who is reliable, adoptee-friendly, and whose rates are very fair. Please do not be too cheap to pay for a translation as this may cost you years of valuable time.

If you would like to be referred to our translator, please contact us. We do not receive any commission on referrals to this translator.

You are also of course welcome to get your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary translated by someone you know personally or your own translator. We recommend however that you request a line-per-line complete translation of your document, which not all volunteer translators have time to do.

We have the translation key for two styles of the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary here. Please share the translation key for your particular style of document with your personal translator.

KSS will almost always partially redact any birth parent or sibling names contained in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary. This is due to Korean Privacy Law. However, KSS can share the UNREDACTED birth parent name/s with NCRC (The National Center For The Rights Of The Child) which (in conjunction with KSS) can then conduct a Birth Family Search on your behalf.

3. If KSS at first tells you that they will initiate a birth family search through NCRC, but later tells you that they could not locate the parents based on too little information and that your case is “CLOSED”, please know that you can request a NEW birth family search ONCE PER YEAR through KSS / NCRC (The National Center for the Rights of the Child, which is the Korean government organization which handles Overseas Adoption cases).

Please Note: It’s fine to resubmit a NEW birth family search request to KSS ONCE PER YEAR. If you fill out the KSS birth family search forms correctly, then the search should be conducted by KSS / NCRC. This happens in conjunction and that you do NOT need to contact NCRC separately from KSS. *Note - After KSS files move from KSS to NCRC starting in July 2025, you may need to contact NCRC directly for a birth family search. We currently do not know exactly what this procedure will look like, but we will post more information as it becomes available.

Please be sure to read the How To Use NCRC For Birth Family Search page for more information.

*IMPORTANT NOTE! It is MANDATORY that you start your birth family search through KSS FIRST, before NCRC. If you start your birth family search with NCRC first, then KSS may decide to decline to help you. Please be sure to request and receive your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary via the “Option D” method described at the top of this page BEFORE you contact NCRC for assistance with your birth family search.

Be sure to watch this video from KAS about how to start a Birth Family Search directly with NCRC. (KAS is the former NCRC).

Download this NCRC PDF form about Tracing Your Origin.

NCRC has only a few Birth Family Search workers (around 2 as of 2023) so this is why it can take a long time (several months to one year) to hear back from them. Please understand that they have a lot of requests, so please do not send them a lot of frivolous requests as they may not reply to you after a while.

Sometimes the best way to get anything done in Birth Family Search is to be physically in Korea. However, this depends on what stage you are at in your birth family search. If you have never previously done a birth family search through KSS, then you should initiate a KSS birth family search and request your Korean Adoptive Child Study by email, following the steps in the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” below.

If you already have information on your birth parents, then there are DIFFERENT avenues that you can try.

If you know that KSS has your birth parent/s info, then you can ask KSS / NCRC to send your birth parent/s a more personal letter. The typical KSS / NCRC birth family search process in cases where there is birth parent info in the file of an Adoptee is that KSS / NCRC makes 3 attempts to send a registered letter (a telegram) to the last known address of the birth parent/s in the file of the Adoptee. Because this is not a transparent process for the Adoptee - who never knows for sure if these 3 attempts at contacting the birth parent/s were actually made, or if the telegram was ever received by the correct birth parent/s or if the telegram was intercepted by the wrong person, or if the birth parent/s moved / separated / divorced / died / do not want contact / etc. - this can be a very difficult process for the Adoptee to go through. Because the typical KSS / NCRC telegram is deliberately vague - it only asks if the recipient of the telegram is “missing someone” - oftentimes birth parent/s who actually receive this telegram think erroneously that it is SPAM. For this reason, we highly recommend that for those Adoptees who know that KSS / NCRC has birth parent/s info on file, to write a more personal letter and translate it into Korean, to be sent to the birth parent/s by KSS / NCRC. The Adoptee will need to ask KSS / NCRC to do this specifically.

We recommend using ChatGPT for Korean translation, which is by far the best method to translate Korean text.

For those Adoptees who know that KSS / NCRC has birth parent info on file -you are likely to have the most success with an NCRC Birth Family Search if you plan a trip to Korea, and then ask a translator to contact NCRC on your behalf when you are in Seoul, who tells NCRC that you are in town and would like to schedule an in-person appointment at NCRC. You would then need to email NCRC to schedule an in-person appointment. During your in-person appointment at NCRC, ask them to send a personal letter to your birth parent/s. The registered letters which KSS or your relevant Korean Adoption Agency and NCRC send to birth parents are not very specific (they may just ask if the recipient of the letter is missing someone) so writing a personal letter to a birth parent which you should get pre-translated before you visit NCRC is a great idea.

Even if a first a KSS / NCRC Birth Family Search effort is unsuccessful, you can wait some time (ONE YEAR) and initiate a new Birth Family Search with KSS / NCRC. Other KSS Adoptees’ first NCRC Birth Family Search attempts were unsuccessful, but later attempts resulted in a reunion. Unfortunately it is impossible to know what will happen in Birth Family Search, but as long as you keep trying, there is always the possibility of finding information.

4. If you have your birth parent/s name/s and birth date/s, you can go directly to police in Korea to ask if they can search for them. Please note that when you go to police in Korea, you will need to take copies of your adoption documents and take your ACTUAL current passport, and that you will need to have a translator. It will of course help to know the area where they might have lived, but not everyone knows that information. Please do not let KSS / NCRC tell you that they cannot look for your birth parent/s without a Korean ID number. Even if you only have the birth parent name/s and approximate year of birth, police may in some cases be willing to do a search. Of course, it’s great / best if you have the Korean ID number/s, but this is not absolutely necessary for police to do a search. Police in Korea have access to a NATIONAL database, so it does not matter which police station you go to try to search for the birth parent/s whose name/s and birthdate/s you have. Please note that police will not be willing to look up ONLY a name, as the results would be too broad. Also, if you go to one police station and are denied access, try going to another one.

5. Work with GOAL in Korea.

If your NCRC Birth Family Search is unsuccessful, you can try working with GOAL in Korea. They charge a small fee and deal with a lot of Adoptees’ cases, so please know that you must be patient. GOAL is a Korean Adoptee led organization and exists to try to help you. However, GOAL has just ONE birth family search worker, so you may or may not be able to get help from them. GOAL offers a “First Trip Home” for Adoptees which is funded by NCRC.

6. Visit Korea.

Most of what is meaningful in Birth Family Search happens when you are physically in Korea.

We recommend that you join an Adoptee Homeland Tour (check on Korean American Adoptees, Korean Adoptees, and other Korean Adoptee forums for information on tours).

NCRC is most responsive to Adoptees when they are physically in Korea. So visit NCRC in person with a translator when you are in Korea. (Schedule an appointment in advance).

Also visit GOAL when you are in Korea. (Schedule an appointment in advance).

Please Note.

Even if you have previously received your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary directly from KSS (rather than through the official “Option D” method described below), we still STRONGLY RECOMMEND requesting your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary via the “Option D” method described below, and requesting this document AGAIN.

*Also, even though we call this the “Option D” method, you still need to check Options A, B, and C if you want to initiate a birth family search and a search for Korean foster parents.

The reason why is because requesting your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary through the official “Option D” bureaucratic process below appears to TRIGGER a PROCESS where IF there are birth parent names written on your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, KSS can then send the UNREDACTED version of your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary to NCRC, which can then conduct an official Birth Family Search. Please note that NCRC can conduct an official Birth Family Search for an Adoptee ONCE PER YEAR. However, NCRC will not automatically conduct a new Birth Family Search once per year, you must work with NCRC to advance your case with them. Please note that you MUST initiate a formal Birth Family Search with KSS FIRST, BEFORE contacting NCRC. Click here to learn more about how to work with NCRC for Birth Family Search later down the line (assuming you are just beginning your KSS Birth Family Search).

Once KSS provides you with your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary (usually within 1-3 weeks of your official “Option D” request), IF there are redacted birth parent name/s on your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, KSS should send you additional forms to initiate a Birth Family Search through NCRC. However if KSS does not do so, simply email them to ask them to send you these forms.

Please read more below about how to officially request your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary via the official “Option D” request.

This information is accurate as of Summer 2022.

Step 1.

Go to KSS’ English website here:

http://www.kssinc.org/eng/welfare/index.php

Click on the gray “Birth Family Search” button at the bottom - this will automatically download the zip file containing 3 Word files to your computer. Browse to your “Downloads” folder on your computer to access the zip file.

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*PLEASE NOTE: IF KSS’ WEBSITE IS DOWN (NOT WORKING):

DON’T PANIC! Please note that you DO NOT need KSS’ website! You can just download KSS’ birth family search FORMS (PDF) BELOW and follow OUR instructions for how to fill them out. OUR website contains more instructions for how to fill out the forms anyway!

Please follow STEPS 1-4, then email us so that we can review your forms BEFORE you submit them to KSS. This could save you YEARS of wasted time! Email us: paperslipadoptee@gmail.com

After you hear back from us, complete STEP 5.

If you do not want us to review your forms, you are taking your chances that you did NOT fill something out correctly. KSS will NOT correct you! And you might go years without realizing you did something wrong - or you might NEVER realize it.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT KSS IF YOU ARE NOT A KSS ADOPTEE!!!

Thank you!

Please Note: If you experience issues with the KSS Word documents, or if KSS’ website is down (not working) you can download PDFs here.

Application for Post-adoption Services (KSS).pdf

Disclosure of Adoption Information.pdf

Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure (Adult).pdf

Step 2.

Double click the zip file that you downloaded to your computer from KSS’ website (in the Downloads folder) to access the 3 Word files. 

If you are an adult over 18 and not a minor, you only need to complete these 2 of the 3 Word files:

1. Application for Post-Adoption Services

2. Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure (Adult)

Step 3. Complete The “Application for Post-Adoption Services” form. This is the form we call the “Option D” form.

Please Note: You can resubmit this same document multiple times to KSS with different items you are requesting, ONE AT A TIME, such as:

1. Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary

2. Birth Parent Letters

3. Photos

4. Physical Examination for Emigrant form

5. Medical Documents

6. Police Reports / Baby Cards (they are basically the same thing)

*Please see STEP 7 below for more info. 

*Please Note! If you want KSS to initiate a birth family search and search for your Korean foster parents, you must also check Options A, B, and C, in addition to Option D.

Type what you are requesting from KSS next to “Option D”. Request ONE item at a time, and request the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary FIRST.

*Please note that if you request too many documents at once, KSS may deny your request. So it is most recommended to request one document type at a time, and to request your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary FIRST.

Once each request has been fulfilled by KSS, simply RESUBMIT the same “Application for Post-Adoption Services” / “Option D” form and write ONE new item which you would like to request from KSS. After your FIRST request, you need only resubmit this one form, and you do NOT need to resubmit your ID (such as current passport or driver’s license).

It is recommended that you TYPE this form on your computer, rather than handwriting it. This lessens the possibility of your form being misinterpreted by native Korean speakers who will be handling your request at KSS.

You will need to print the form once completed, SIGN / DATE, then either scan or photograph the document clearly to be sent to KSS as an attachment via email.

If known, you should include your K-Number, such as: K-X234 or K-X2345. If you have your English Adoptive Child Study Summary, your K-Number is typed near the top. The K-Number may also be handwritten on your Korean Travel Certificate or Passport, or on other adoption documents.

If you cannot find this number, don’t worry. Just write “I don’t know”.

Step 4. Complete The “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” form.

You must complete this form. It’s best if you type this form, rather than handwriting it. This form goes to the NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) which is the Korean government agency which can conduct an official Birth Family Search (BFS) for your birth parents, assuming that KSS has information about them on the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary.

After you receive your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS, you will need to request additional forms from KSS to initiate a formal Birth Family Search through NCRC.

In the section where it asks you to enter your “Resident Registration Number” you can enter your BIRTHDATE. If known, you should also include your MB5 or MB6 (MB12345 or MB123456), R6 (R123456), or TC (TC1234567) number from your Korean Travel Certificate or Passport. This number is often punched into the cover (hold your document up to the light) or typed on the inside of the document.

For more in-depth information about these Korean Travel Document numbers, please see: Korea’s Evolving Travel Document System.

If you do not have your Korean Travel Certificate or Passport, you can put your A-Number (Alien Registration Number).

For US citizens, your A-Number can be found on your Naturalization Certificate in the upper right corner. It may alternately be handwritten in your Korean Travel Certificate or Passport.

If you do not have any of these numbers, don’t freak out, it’s fine. Just write “I don’t know it” if you don’t know any of these numbers.You should definitely write your birthdate in this field though.

*VERY IMPORTANT: Be sure to type onto this form:

”I grant KSS and NCRC permission for ANY birth family members to contact me.”

*If you do not write this statement, KSS / NCRC may not put you in touch with birth family members, even if they reach out to KSS / NCRC.

Also be sure to include this in the body of the email that you send to KSS when you email them your forms and copy of your current ID (current passport or driver’s license).

Please Note that in the graphic below, we say to use your original KOREAN Passport / Travel Certificate number. However, you should use your CURRENT / Western Passport number. It will not matter that much which passport number that you use, but officially what they are asking for is your CURRENT / Western Passport number. If you do not have a passport, just use your birthdate.

Step 5. Email KSS.

*UPDATE - VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: BEFORE emailing your forms to KSS, please be sure to READ AND UNDERSTAND NEW! STEP 7 and NEW! STEP 8 ON THIS PAGE BELOW.

Once you have completed your forms and signed / dated them (2 forms if you are an adult over 18, and all 3 forms if you are a minor - we did not show the 3rd form for a minor here but it’s very straightforward), attach a scan or photo of your completed forms to an email to KSS.

*VERY IMPORTANT: In the body of your email to KSS, be sure to write: ”I grant KSS and NCRC permission for ANY birth family members to contact me.”

*If you do not write this statement, both in the body of your email to KSS and on the “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” form, KSS / NCRC may not put you in touch with birth parents, even if they reach out to KSS / NCRC.

Attach a copy of your current passport, driver’s license, or other ID number so that KSS can identify you.

*PLEASE NOTE that ALL KSS files move to NCRC starting in July 2025! If you want to schedule an APPOINTMENT TO VISIT KSS IN PERSON, you should do this WELL BEFORE JULY 2025! To schedule an appointment with KSS, you must FIRST check their ONLINE CALENDAR on their website:

http://www.kssinc.org/eng/welfare/index.php

Then ask for an appointment in their available time slots.

Finally, send your email to:

kssinc@kssinc.org

An example email to KSS is below. Of course, feel free to modify it per your specific situation:

”Dear KSS,

I am a KSS Adoptee adopted through (insert your Western adoption agency) in (insert your date of adoption). I am officially requesting a birth family search and also a copy of my Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary. I am also requesting a copy of my Adoption Certificate.

Please find attached my official KSS birth family search forms and also a copy of my photo ID.

I plan to be in Seoul on (insert your dates) and would like to schedule an in-person file review at KSS in Seoul. Please let me know the earliest date that I can schedule an appointment. I prefer to schedule an appointment at the start of my trip, so that I can pick up my Adoption Certificate from KSS and have time to take the Police Missing Persons DNA Test at a police station in Seoul.

I grant KSS and NCRC permission for ANY birth family members to contact me.

Yours truly,

(insert your name).”

You should hear back from KSS and receive your copy of your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary (or other requested documents) within 1-3 weeks. If you do not hear from KSS in over one month, you can simply email them to ask what the status is of your request.

Step 6. After You Receive Your “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” "From KSS:

Once you have received your “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” from KSS, let us know. Email us at: paperslipadoptee@gmail.com

Here is what the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary looks like.

You should get your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary fully translated. Contact us if you need a referral for a translator.

If there are redacted birth parent name/s in your file, you should request that KSS send you forms to initiate a formal Birth Family Search through NCRC. KSS may or may not automatically send you these forms. If KSS does not automatically send you these forms, simply email them to request that they send you the forms to initiate a Birth Family Search through NCRC.

If you have redacted birth parent name/s in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, KSS can share the UNREDACTED version of this document to NCRC, which can then conduct a formal Birth Family Search. As mentioned above, you will need to complete additional forms which KSS can provide you with upon request to initiate this process.

Learn how to work with NCRC for Birth Family Search here:

How To Use NCRC For Birth Family Search.

NEW! Step 7. Requesting Additional Items / Documents ONE AT A TIME from KSS via the “Option D Method”:

September 12th, 2024
NEW! Please see our UPDATED LIST of documents to request from KSS ONE AT A TIME below.

Please note the following important things regarding the KSS “Option A, B, C” and “Option D” request process:

1. Requesting a Birth Family Search and your “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” from KSS are TWO SEPARATE things. If you want, you can opt to request just a birth family search without requesting your “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” - however we VERY strongly recommend that IF you request a birth family search, that you ALSO request your  “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” at the SAME TIME. (All you have to do is check all options - Options A, B, C and D, and next to Option D write “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary”). This is because your “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” may contain (partly redacted) birth parent information which you may not be aware that KSS had on file. (Often your English Adoptive Child Study Summary will say that you were “abandoned” with “unknown birth parents” but this was definitely not always true. Please note that while some KSS Adoptees’ “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” contains birth parent information, not everyone’s does - unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to request this document. KSS typically sends the “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” to Adoptees via email IF it is properly requested, within 1-4 weeks of the official request. KSS typically does not acknowledge receipt of your original request. However, to our knowledge, no one thus far has been denied the “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary”.
   
   Please note that we have only been able to figure out how to request and receive the “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” within the past few years. So if you have previously conducted a birth family search through KSS or previously visited KSS, you may not be aware that “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” exists nor how to request it. KSS will typically NOT tell you about the document nor how to request it, but IF you know about the document and how to request it, KSS has thus far honored the request.
   
   You can request BOTH a birth family search AND your “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” at the same time by checking Options A, B, C, and D and writing “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” next to Option D. We highly recommend doing so if you are interested in doing a birth family search through KSS.
   
   Please note that if you do NOT check the option to request a birth family search, KSS will NOT initiate one. KSS will also not double check with you to ask, are you sure you did not want a birth family search? So please be sure to read the form you are filling out carefully and check the options that you want.
   
   Some KSS Adoptees prefer to ONLY request their “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” from KSS, and not to request a birth family search at the same time, which is totally a personal choice. However, please know that requesting “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” alone DOES NOT INITIATE A BIRTH FAMILY SEARCH through KSS. To initiate a birth family search through KSS, please check the appropriate options (A, B, C in addition to Option D, next to which you should write “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary”) in order to request that KSS initiate a birth family search AND send you your “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary”.
   
   

1. How to request items from KSS via Option D *one at a time*
   After you have submitted your first request to KSS and received KSS’ response (which typically takes 1-4 weeks), please note that you can resubmit new requests and use what we call the “Option D Method” to request OTHER items / documents from KSS by checking Option D and writing what type of item / document you are requesting from KSS next to Option D. Please note that you should prioritize requesting the “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” from KSS and request this document FIRST - as it is the KSS document most likely to contain birth parent information IF KSS recorded it at the time of your relinquishment to KSS.

   1. Please note that you must WAIT to receive KSS’ first response (which usually takes 1-4 weeks) before requesting a NEW item / document via Option D.

   2. Please note that you can only request ONE ITEM / DOCUMENT AT A TIME. If you request more than one item / document at a time, KSS may not even respond to your email.

   3. Please note that you must wait to receive one item / document before requesting a new one via the Option D method.

   4. Please note that we recommend resubmitting BOTH of KSS’ birth family search forms for this “Option D” process. If you have already requested a birth family search, and it has been unsuccessful, you have to wait one year before requesting a new birth family search through KSS.
      
      Documents you can request from KSS, in general order of importance (don’t request documents you already have):
      
      -“KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” - Examples of this document
      
      -출생증명서 / Birth Certificate (be sure to include the KOREAN text)
      
      -Photographs
      
      -“Physical Examination for Emigrant” form (this document has a baby / child photo at the top right)
      
      -Medical documents / OPD (Outpatient Department) charts
      
      *NEW! OTHER KSS Documents You Can TRY To Request from KSS ONE AT A TIME: 
      
      Below is a list of documents which we DO NOT KNOW if everyone can get - however if you wish to try to request each document ONE BY ONE (as KSS REQUIRES that you do - KSS will DENY your request if you request MORE THAN ONE DOCUMENT AT A TIME), we recommend doing so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
      
      Note: When you make your "Option D" requests, be sure to copy / paste the KOREAN AND ENGLISH text from the list below - place both Korean / English text NAME of the document NEXT to "Option D" on KSS' Application Form. We recommend that you RESUBMIT BOTH KSS birth family search forms in order to make a request for EACH new document.
      
      *IMPORTANT! DO NOT ONLY include the English text - be sure to include BOTH the KOREAN AND ENGLISH TEXT EXACTLY as written below - just copy / paste the text onto the space next to Option “D” on the KSS Application form:

      1.) 고아증명서 / “Certificate of Orphanhood”

      2.) 해외입양이민승락서 / "Overseas Adoption Immigration Consent Form"

      3.) "주민등록표 등본" / "Resident Registration Certificate"

      4.) 入養者記錄表 / "Adoptive Parent Record Form"
      
      -“English Adoptive Child Study Summary” (2-3 page document) Examples of this document
      - Orphanization documents such as orphan Hojuk / Hojukdungbon (documents like these tend to have falsified info but this depends entirely on the person's case). 
      
      The following documents are documents which you are NOT likely to obtain through a request to KSS:
      
      -Police Reports
      
      -Orphanage reports from “feeder orphanages” such as Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan, Star of the Sea Orphanage in Incheon, Choon Hyun Babies Home in Gwangju, etc (this depends on the orphanage mentioned in your “ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary”, which is a document provided to your adoptive parents prior to your adoption. Not all Adoptees have access to this document, but we highly recommend looking for it amongst your adoption paperwork.

NEW! Step 8. The Adoption Certificate + The NCRC Certificate - Requirements for Taking The Korean Police “Missing Persons” DNA Test:

Adoption Certificate: 

The Adoption Certificate from your relevant Korean Adoption Agency may be required for taking the Police “Missing Persons” DNA Test at a Police Station in Korea: 

In order to take a DNA test at a police station in Korea (the Police “Missing Persons” DNA test), you may need your “Adoption Certificate” from KSS (or your relevant Korean Adoption Agency). 

If you are a KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee, you can request this document via email. If you plan to visit KSS in Seoul, be sure to request your Adoption Certificate by email from KSS well in advance of your trip / visit to KSS. 

We cannot speak for what the procedure is for the other major Korean Adoption Agencies apart from KSS. However, the procedure is likely the same: you need to email your relevant Korean Adoption Agency and schedule an appointment to pick up your Adoption Certificate. You must do this BEFORE you visit a police station in Korea to take the Police “Missing Persons” DNA test.

For now, know that you can request the Adoption Certificate with a simple email to KSS, we don't think that you need to "Option D" request this document. You can also request it in person at KSS.

Take a copy of the KSS Adoption Certificate document once obtained to various places in Korea you go for birth family search: police stations, government offices such as Jumin Centers, city halls, etc. Some places  require that you have it. You should also always take copies of your adoption paperwork (don’t take originals as you could easily lose them) and your passport when going to these kinds of places for birth family search.

Please note that KSS may take 1-4 weeks to respond to any email, and NCRC may take even longer, so be sure to plan months ahead if you need these documents for your birth family search. We do not know how long other Korean Adoption Agencies apart from KSS take to respond to Adoptees’ requests, but you should budget a few months of time for responses to emails from any Korean Adoption Agency.

Thanks to a generous KSS Adoptee, we now have an example of an Adoption Certificate to share (see below). 


Please note: if you are unable to obtain your Adoption Certificate in time, just try going to a Korean police station with copies of your adoption paperwork and your passport and see if they will allow you to do the Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test without your Adoption Certificate.

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The NCRC Certificate is required for taking the DNA Test through a Korean consulate in your Western country of adoption:

Please note that the KSS Adoption Certificate is DIFFERENT from the NCRC Certificate you will need in order to take a DNA test at a Korean consulate in your home country.

Please note that the police “Missing Persons” DNA test which can be taken at a major police station in Korea is the SAME DNA test which you can take at a Korean consulate in your home country. Please note that if you are able to successfully take this DNA test, that your DNA sample supposedly remains in Korea’s police DNA database until birth family is found.

Please note that some Korean Adoptees have had difficulty establishing that they are a “Missing Person” if the Adoptee has birth parent names in the version of the file in the Adoptee’s possession. As with all things in Korea - if you don’t have luck with one police station, go to another. 

Thanks to a KSS Adoptee for providing this additional info about obtaining the certificate from NCRC for taking the DNA test at your local consulate:

You can download the forms you need to get the DNA test at your local consulate directly from the NCRC site.

https://www.kadoption.or.kr/en/info/dna_test.jsp

The forms are:

1. Request Form for Certificate for Genetic Testing

2. User Agreement

When you send the forms to NCRC at familysearch@ncrc.or.kr you also need to include a copy of your photo ID and documentation from KSS (such as your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary) stating that you have no family information.

So there are a total of 4 items you need to send them.

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Please see this link for more info:

https://mfof.se/download/18.3fb844b2179a8fcfa4548418/1622550452816/Leaflet_Adoption%20Information%20Disclosure%20Service(Eng).pdf?fbclid=IwAR27NLlKKA5GK_GQ2da6S-35xAbna-KRcNga6xiuVE-KNphkteD7gl0rMMI 

NEW! Step 9. What To Do AFTER KSS Has Sent You Your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary.

For any KSS Adoptee who has requested and RECEIVED their Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary:

The first thing you need to do is to get it TRANSLATED professionally. We cannot tell you how much you will cheat yourself if you are too cheap to pay a bit of money for a professional translation of your document - ESPECIALLY if it contains birth parent information. You should NEVER purely rely on automatic translators like Google Translate, Papago, or even ChatGPT to translate anything which is IMPORTANT for birth family search! You can contact us and we can refer you to a reliable paid translator. Or, you can use your own - we do not care, we do not make any commission, we only care that you get your important documents translated AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after you initially receive them from KSS.

You are also welcome to contact us to informally review your form. We cannot translate it for you directly, but we can point out where KSS has REDACTED the form.

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IF there is NO birth family information in your form - no name/s or birthdates - which unfortunately, there may not be, then there is unfortunately not much that you can do if this is the case. In order for KSS / NCRC to be able to conduct a birth family search, they would need some information to go on.

The next steps which an Adoptee can take are to take ALL possible DNA tests:

DNA Testing

Please be sure to read about taking the Police Missing Person’s DNA Test if you plan to be in Korea. You will need to request your Adoption Certificate from KSS in order to take this test in Korea. You can take this same test through a Korean consulate in your Western home country. However, you will need an NCRC Certificate in order to do that. Please read the above link for more info.

If you are a US Adoptee, you should file a FREE FOIA request. A FOIA request will NOT initiate any birth family search in either Korea or the US. However, you can potentially obtain a treasure trove of adoption documents this way, and one never knows if these documents may contain valuable information for your search:

FOIA

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The following information is for those KSS Adoptees who have requested and RECEIVED their Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS, and who DO have (partly REDACTED) BIRTH PARENT INFORMATION in their document.

*PLEASE DO NOT GO TO POLICE FOR THIS KIND OF SEARCH IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY BIRTH PARENT INFO / Have not already requested your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS. The kind of POLICE search described below is ONLY for those KSS Adoptees who HAVE (partly redacted or unredacted) BIRTH PARENT INFORMATION IN THEIR KOREAN ADOPTIVE CHILD STUDY SUMMARY OR OTHER DOCUMENTS:

IF you requested a birth family search through KSS, then KSS will let you know in the same email in which they sent you your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary that they have initiated a search. If KSS has NOT told you that they have initiated a birth family search for you, AND you have partly redacted birth family information in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, then it is possible you did NOT request a birth family search on your forms. Don’t stress - you can RESUBMIT your forms, but be sure to do so CORRECTLY because KSS only responds to you after 4 weeks of time on average. Please follow the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” above VERY CAREFULLY and FOLLOW THE GRAPHICS to fill out your forms.

Another method of BIRTH FAMILY SEARCH which is SEPARATE from the KSS / NCRC method of searching is a Korean POLICE search. A Korean Police search is a much more “aggressive” form of search in that police are able to directly call your birth parents IF the police are able to locate them through their NATIONAL DATABASE, to which every major Korean Police’s “Missing Person’s” unit has access.

ONLY IF you have (partly REDACTED) birth parent information in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary (or otherwise knows for a FACT that KSS has birth parent information about you but won't share it with you) AND you are going to Korea for birth family search, you might TRY the following. Please note that you CANNOT do this WITHOUT GOING TO KOREA IN PERSON. Police will NOT accept dealing with INTERMEDIARIES on your behalf. Unfortunately, this is just the way things work in Korea:

-Go with a translator to a large police station - most police stations have Missing Persons Units. You will need to make an appointment / let police know you are coming in advance. This will take coordinating with a translator.

-Be sure to take your CURRENT passport and PRINTED copies of your adoption documents. You should also have a PDF of your adoption documents in your email (send this to yourself by email).

-At the police station, ask the translator to ask police to CALL KSS to see if KSS will share the redacted birth parent information with POLICE to do a search.

-The whole reason that KSS redacts birth parent information in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary is because of birth parent privacy law. However, KSS can share this information I believe with POLICE - just not with YOU, the Adoptee.

-Even if you only know the AGE of your birth parent and not the exact birthdate, you can figure out the YEAR of the birth parent's birth according to how old the birth parent was (let's say 29) in 1976 when your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary was made (for example).

-You can then ask police to bracket up and down from the birth parent/s birth date/s by (at least) two years.

-For example - lets's say you know your birth father or mother’s last name was LEE (and the first name is REDACTED) and was 29 years old in 1976. 1976 - 29 = 1947. So ask police to call KSS to find out your birth parent's FULL NAME and birthdate (if KSS has it) and to bracket the birth year up and down by two years when the police search through their National Database for this birthdate - in this EXAMPLE if the parent was born in 1947, ask police to look for your birth parent's name in 1945, 1946, *1947, 1948 and 1949. See?

-Koreans use a LUNAR Calendar and Westerners use a SOLAR Calendar, so it is best to COVER YOUR BASES by requesting that police bracket the birth year/s of your birth parent/s up and down by at least 2 years.

-While this kind of search is a long shot, you just never know until you try.

-*PLEASE DO NOT GO TO POLICE FOR THIS KIND OF SEARCH IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY BIRTH PARENT INFO / Have not already requested your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS.

NEW Page!

KSS Found The Address Of Your Birth Family - Now What?

Check out the NEW page above for what to do when you have officially requested your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary AND a birth family search through KSS, and KSS responds that they have found the address / contact information of your Korean birth family.

Don’t Let KSS Tell You After Just ONE Birth Family Search Attempt Through NCRC That KSS Has “CLOSED” Your Case. This is FALSE.

We have heard so many times from KSS Adoptees that KSS tried ONE TIME to find their birth parents, then told the Adoptee that their case was "closed". What KSS does not tell people is that NCRC can conduct a new birth family search ONCE PER YEAR.

Unless there is actually no birth parent information in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary or other Korean or English adoption documents, KSS has no right to permanently "close" your case. This is why, even if you have already obtained your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS, you should officially re-request it via the "Option D" method described in the Illustrated Step By Step Guide above. This is because officially requesting the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary (Korean ACSS) via the "Option D" method appears to trigger an obligation by KSS / NCRC to conduct a birth family search, in the instance where there are brith parent name/s in your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary.

Of course, if you don't want to do a birth family search, you don't have to, even if you request and receive your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary.

KSS has unfortunately gaslighted (lied to) countless KSS Adoptees by telling them that they searched once for their birth parents then “closed” the case. Please know that you can request a Birth Family Search through NCRC ONCE PER YEAR. Please be sure to request your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary officially from KSS BEFORE contacting NCRC.

Don’t Give Up - Part 1.

We want to highlight something that a KSS Adoptee who is in reunion with his Korean family shared as good advice for birth family search:

"Why does everyone think the adoption agencies close the (KSS Adoptee's birth family search) file when there’s no response (from birth family after the first attempts at contact by KSS / NCRC)? Like they have any right to do that. They should reword it and say that this year they won’t do anything else, but you can always try again later.

Also, do you guys realize how little information is in those “letters” they (KSS / NCRC) sent out (to your birth family)? It basically asks if anyone in your family is missing. They can’t say that child you gave up for adoption x number of years ago.

When I worked in BFS (Birth Family Search), I found it more effective to plan your own trip to Korea, and then tell the agency (KSS) to send a letter to your (birth) family and let them know the dates you’ll be in Korea."

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Just because KSS / NCRC conducts 1 birth family search attempt that is not successful (for each attempt, they will attempt to send the birth family 3 separate letters), does not mean that you cannot ask KSS / NCRC to conduct a new birth family search each year. You can ask KSS / NCRC to conduct a new birth family search each year.

We want to add that you will always have the best chance of finding birth family when you are physically in Korea. You must work all of the prior steps in this list FIRST, but making an in-person appointment at NCRC when you are in Korea will yield the best results in terms of birth family search.

Don’t Give Up - Part 2:

Once you have requested and received your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS via the “Option D” method, you must ask KSS to send you forms to help you start a birth family search through NCRC. 

You can then decide if you want to start a birth family search through NCRC. If you do decide to go forward with a birth family search through NCRC, then you should request that KSS help you start this process. Email KSS to request the forms to start the birth family search process through NCRC.

Very often, KSS / NCRC will say that they tried to contact you birth family 3 times, but got no response. This does not mean this is the end of the story! You can always request that KSS / NCRC do another search in around 1 year. 

The only time that birth family search is over is when we stop trying. 

The best way to get anything done is to go physically to Korea, and work with NCRC in person. You can call to set up an appointment. Information about how to work with NCRC for birth family search is here:

How To Use NCRC For Birth Family Search

NCRC will make just 3 attempts to contact any known birth parents in your file, but even if these first attempts are unsuccessful, you can wait around one year and request that they try again. 

Don't just take no for an answer and quit. The more you push, the further you may get. As one KSS Adoptee has mentioned, it is harder for NCRC to say no to someone who is in front of them than to an email from someone who is not in Korea at the time.  

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It should be noted that BEFORE you work with NCRC, you MUST request and receive your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary (ACSS) from KSS FIRST. Even if you have previously obtained the Korean ACSS through other means, requesting it through the “Option D” method initiates a formal process that leads to a birth family search through NCRC. Please follow the steps here for requesting your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary via the "Option D" Method:

Step By Step KSS Birth Family Search

UPDATE!
How To Request Information From Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan.

Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan was a major “Feeder Orphanage” for KSS (Korea Social Service) and other Korean Adoption Agencies. KSS Adoptees (or other Korean Adoptees who know that they were at Nam Kwang) can request information directly from Nam Kwang - in addition to, not instead of, requesting information from KSS.

One document we know of which Nam Kwang often has for KSS Adoptees (or other Korean Adoptees who were at Nam Kwang) is the following document:

”요보호자수용의뢰서 - Request for acceptance of guardians / caregivers”

This document may or may not contain a little bit more information about where you were born / found / relinquished.

If you know that you once stayed at Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan, you can request this and other documentation about your history there by contacting Nam Kwang directly. <<< Nam Kwang’s contact information is linked here.

Nam Kwang remains a functioning child welfare facility in Busan and you can also contact Nam Kwang to schedule a visit.