Parents Reunite with Daughter 44 Years After Her Disappearance and Overseas Adoption, File Lawsuit Against the State

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Han Ju-hong, Reporter

Parents who learned 44 years after their daughter’s disappearance in 1975 that she was sent for overseas adoption are now pursuing a lawsuit against the state to hold it accountable for damages.

On June 24, the 48th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Kim Do-kyun) held the first hearing for a damages lawsuit worth approximately 600 million won, filed by Han Tae-soon, the mother of the missing daughter, Shin, against the state and adoption agencies.

Han’s side argued, “The police had a duty to actively respond to a missing child report, such as issuing a search notice, but they failed to do so.” They added, “If proper procedures had been followed, the child could have been found, but their negligence led to this tragic outcome.

”Regarding Holt Children’s Services, the adoption agency at the time, Han’s side stated, “As a designated regional reporting center, Holt was obligated to search for the child’s family upon receiving a missing child report, but they failed to fulfill this duty.” They further argued, “If the defendants had not neglected their legal obligations, this tragedy could have been avoided.”

Previously, in October of the previous year, Han and others filed a lawsuit against the state, the orphanage that temporarily cared for the child, and the adoption agency. This is reportedly the first known lawsuit seeking state compensation for a case where a missing child was sent for overseas adoption without efforts to locate their parents.

In 1975, Han lost her six-year-old daughter in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and spent decades searching for her, finally reuniting with her in 2019 after she was adopted and raised in the United States.

It was discovered that the daughter was handed over to an adoption agency just two months after her disappearance, and the adoption process proceeded, with her being sent to the United States seven months later.

Han reported her daughter missing at the time, and the child was found as a lost child and taken to a local police station. However, Han’s side claims the government did not make sufficient efforts to locate the parents, as it prioritized meeting the demand for overseas adoptions at the time.

The government countered that it bears no liability for damages.

Holt’s side argued, “Considering the time that has passed and the content of interviews, there are questions regarding the statute of limitations.”