The Current State of Birth Family Search.
Posted - March 6th, 2025.
With subsequent updates.
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KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees, Please See:
NEW! Step By Step KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee Birth Family Search
Now More Than Ever, Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information
IMPORTANT Info For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees With Interest In Search After July 19th, 2025
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UPDATE - June 28th, 2025:
Please note that the landscape of birth family search has radically changed due to the file transfer of ALL Korean Adoption Agency files to the Korean Government Agency NCRC beginning July 19th, 2025. Please see more information below.
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UPDATE - June 15th, 2025:
For the most relevant pages related to the future of birth family search AFTER July 19th, 2025, please see the DROPDOWN MENU on Paperslip’s homepage titled:
”AFTER July 19th, 2025, ALL Birth Family Search Requests Must Be Processed Through NCRC/KAS”:
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See Related:
IMPORTANT Info For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees With Interest In Search After July 19th, 2025
Now More Than Ever, Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information
Birth Family Search Requests Will Have To Be Submitted Through The KAS (Korea Adoption Services) Website After July 19th, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)— Regarding The Movement Of ALL Korean Adoption Agency Files to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) Beginning July 19th, 2025.
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We don’t think that Korean Adoptees understand the extent to which the future of birth family search after the file transfer from ALL Korean Adoption Agencies to the Korean Government Agency NCRC begins on July 19th, 2025 may largely boil down to DNA Testing — and gumshoe investigation in Korea based on information which Adoptees already have.
We would LOVE to be wrong, but we strongly feel that the birth family search trail through the adoption paperwork route in Korea is — due to the file transfer — largely ending.
This does NOT mean that you should NOT still try to do a search through NCRC / KAS after July 19th, 2025. It DOES mean you should be aware of what is going on, and that you should be prepared if possible to provide COPIES (NEVER ORIGINALS) of information which YOU already have to NCRC / KAS when you request a birth family search. You cannot assume that NCRC / KAS will be able to locate your information after the file transfer from the Korean Adoption Agencies. It may be up to you to provide the information you have, if any. The file transfer may take YEARS to sort out.
Also:
One of the biggest commercial DNA tests —
23 and Me — has gone bankrupt.
Update — May 24th, 2025:
23 and Me, the test with the most Korean DNA in its database, is in the process of being bought by Regeneron, a US pharmaceuticals company.
We hope that the DNA Testing service of 23 and Me is preserved — so far, Regeneron has said that it will be. Stay tuned.
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Update — March 24th, 2025:
URGENT: 23 and Me, the test with the most Korean DNA in its database, has filed for BANKRUPTCY.
If possible, download your raw data and screen capture your closest matches.
This article contains steps for how to delete your data on 23 and Me.
We’ve been talking for over one year (since February 2024) about the coming movement of ALL Korean Adoption Agency files to the Korean Government Agency NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) on July 19th, 2025.
While we hope for good things, we’re not optimistic about NCRC’s handling of our adoption documents. NCRC’s current President has admitted that it may take 10 years to sort out the file transfer.
Please see:
IMPORTANT! New Changes Coming To NCRC in 2025 - Including NEW Address!
New MBC Video Highlights The Failures of NCRC. KSS Adoptees Should Act NOW
With the file transfer looming on July 19th, 2025, we wanted to convey to Korean Adoptees some IMMEDIATE ISSUES which - if you have a strong interest in birth family search - you may need to take IMMEDIATE ACTION on (as of this writing on March 6th, 2025).
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Please Take ALL Possible DNA Tests:
See: DNA Testing for more information.
Remaining DNA Tests — Until and Unless 23 and Me Restructures Under Regeneron:
-Ancestry
-FTDNA (Family Tree DNA)
-MyHeritage
-GEDMatch
-KNPA (Korean National Police Academy) DNA Test - What We Call The “Korean Police Missing Person’s DNA Test”
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PLEASE NOTE:
Prior to the file transfer on July 19th, 2025, we highly recommend that Korean Adoptees - especially KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees - contact their relevant KOREAN ADOPTION AGENCY for a birth family search and to request any relevant documents BEFORE the file transfer to NCRC. However, the closer you get to July 19th, 2025, the less likely you are to receive a response from your Korean Adoption Agency. If you have interest in birth family search, please act NOW!
KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees please see:
KSS Adoptees MUST ACT NOW To Request A Birth Family Search + KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary!
ALL Korean Adoptees Please see:
IMPORTANT! New Changes Coming To NCRC in 2025 - Including NEW Address!
Check Here For Updates: The Current State Of Birth Family Search By Korean Adoption Agency
Regarding The Future Of Birth Family Search Through NCRC and KAS
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Below are a few IMMEDIATE ISSUES which directly impact birth family search. If you have a strong interest in birth family search, you may need to
TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION.
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IMMEDIATE ISSUE 1:
23 and Me Is In Trouble Has Gone Bankrupt (But Is Being Bought Out of Bankruptcy By Regeneron) But May Hold Your Largest Number of DNA Matches.
URGENT: 23 and Me, the test with the most Korean DNA in its database, has filed for BANKRUPTCY (But Is Being Bought Out of Bankruptcy By Regeneron).
If possible, download your raw data and screen capture your closest matches.
This article contains steps for how to delete your data on 23 and Me.
*Please note that we always recommend taking
ALL POSSIBLE DNA TESTS.
Please see our DNA Testing Page for more info.
23 and Me, the DNA test with the MOST KOREAN DNA in its database BY FAR, is facing severe financial challenges has gone bankrupt and may sell its data.
Update - March 24th, 2025: Please note that in light of 23 and Me’s recent bankruptcy, taking 23 and Me is NO LONGER AN OPTION.
If you have already taken 23 and Me, we strongly advise that you screencapture the individual pages of any close relative matches, and download your raw data.
*It should be noted that Hapa (Mixed Race) Korean Adoptees will have more matches in general on almost any DNA test than full blooded Koreans, because more black / white persons take DNA tests than do Koreans.
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IMMEDIATE ISSUE 2:
For US Adoptees ONLY:
FOIA
(Freedom of Information Act) Is Part of the Federal Government. And FOIA Requests Are Currently Being Redacted At An Unprecedented Rate.
Please see our FOIA Request For US Adoptees page for more info. and important instructions about how to file a FREE FOIA request. Please CAREFULLY READ the entire page linked above BEFORE you file a FREE FOIA request.
FOIA WAS one of the best ways for US Korean Adoptees to obtain US-side adoption documents, since Korean Adoptees were adopted across international borders. This was especially useful for those Korean Adoptees who have no adoption documents in their possession and are not able to obtain any from their adoptive parents. However, FOIA is federally funded, and documents provided through FOIA requests are currently being REDACTED at an unprecdented rate. We can no longer take FOIA for granted.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE FILING A FOIA REQUEST:
FOIA Request For US Adoptees
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FUTURE ISSUE 1:
After July 19th, 2025:
ALL Korean Adoptees with an interest in birth family search will have to submit their searches to NCRC - likely through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website, which has been riddled with technical issues for YEARS.
*CONFIRMED: Korean Adoptees will have to use the KAS website to submit all future birth family search requests following the file transfer from ALL Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC starting July 19th, 2025. Adoptees WILL have to wait until mid-September 2025 to submit new birth family search requests.
Please see:
Regarding The Future Of Birth Family Search Through NCRC and KAS
The KAS site has had technical issues with creating a login, amongst other things, have been KNOWN AND UNRESOLVED FOR YEARS.
Brace yourselves. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.