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Magazine article
Children in need of ‘rescuing’: challenging the myths at the heart of the global adoption industry
The Conversation
08/05/2025
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
Korean adoptees worldwide are grappling with a devastating possibility: they were not truly orphans, but may have been made into orphans.
For decades, adoptees were told they were “abandoned”, “rescued” or “unwanted”. Many were told their Korean families were too “poor” or “incapable” to raise them – and they should only ever feel grateful for being adopted.
But these long-held stories are now under scrutiny.
Our recent research interrogates the narratives that have obscured the darker realities of intercountry adoption. Rather than viewing adoption solely through the lens of “rescue”, our work examines the broader power structures that facilitated the mass migration of Korean children to western countries, including Australia.
Details
- Title
- Children in need of ‘rescuing’: challenging the myths at the heart of the global adoption industry
- Creators
- Samara Kim (김수임) - Southern Cross UniversityKathomi Gatwiri - Southern Cross UniversityLynne McPherson - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- The Conversation
- Publisher
- The Conversation Media Group Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991013284148802368
- Academic Unit
- Centre for Children and Young People; Social Work; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Magazine article