Birth Family search
AUSTRALIA
To commence a birth family search, Korean adoptees must register and lodge a request via NCRC's website:
https://www.kadoption.or.kr/home/eng/main.do
Previously, it was possible to request a search for birth family via the relevant Australian State Government agency however since all our original files were transferred from Eastern Social Welfare Society to NCRC, we must make the request directly.
Shaun's experience with submitting a request for his adoption file and details of his birth mother:
Nov 2025: Submitted online request
May 2026: Received digital copy of adoption file
May 2026: Adoption file review of original documents at the NCRC temporary archive
Aug 2026: Received outcome of birth family search request
Other measures taken:
May 2025: Submitted a DNA test at Jongno police station to register on the Korean police's missing persons database in the hope of finding a biological match.
July 2025: Received notification no matches were identified.
May 2026: Visited the regional police station from where his birth mother was originally from (according to the adoption file), to lodge a missing persons request. Following Shaun's file review, the case worker suggested the details seemed legitimate and validated his birth mother's name and year of birth. This was sufficient information to lodge a missing person request where the police will look up and attempt to contact any persons matching that name and year of birth. The officer on duty wasn't sure of the process for adoptees and took Shaun's number to call me back with an update. The officer did not speak English.
The police called me the next day advising an individual can only request a DNA test OR a missing person's search. They would only be able to perform the missing persons search if I retracted my DNA submission.
In weighing up probabilities, Shaun decided his odds were better in the police attempting to contact anyone by his birth mother's name and agreed to retract his DNA submission. The police accepted the request and would call back with further advice.
The police called back, and advised to not worry about retracting the DNA submission. Shaun's guess is that they couldn't work out how to actually do it. They initiated the search.
July 2026: The police advised via email the search was unsuccessful.