South Korea acknowledges and recognizes its responsibility for abusive international adoptions, as after the Korean War, over 140,000 children were sent abroad on the grounds that they were not considered pure Koreans.

The South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung, stated that the state has not fully assumed its responsibilities regarding abusive adoptions, apologizing to adopted individuals and biological families. Between 1955 and 1999, over 140,000 children were internationally adopted, often through fraudulent practices, including document forgery, because they were born to a Korean mother and an American father. An investigation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission confirmed the government's guilt in these cases, highlighting the disregard for the consent of biological parents.