South Korea and the Hague Convention

Hwaseong Fortress.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore, when the Hague Adoption Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008, intercountry adoption processing for South Korea did not change.

South Korea's law requires the use of an adoption agency for the overseas adoption of all Korean orphans, and requires that such agencies are authorized by The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. Please see the list of approved agencies in the "Contact Information" section of this website. More information is provided on each individual website regarding their counterpart agencies in the United States.

Please Note: U.S. citizens who are considering adoption in South Korea should be aware that the Korean government has expressed its intent to reduce the need for intercountry adoptions by encouraging domestic adoption of Korean orphans. In support of this policy, South Korea has established specific international adoption quotas that are currently being reduced each year. When an adoption agency reaches its quota, an agency is unable to submit emigration applications to the Korean government on behalf of a specific child. Prospective adoptive parents should consult carefully with their adoption service provider pertaining to quotas provided to each agency and current Korean adoption processing times. For important updates please visit U.S. Embassy Seoul's website.

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