# 6261 is the number i received when i was intake by holt adoption agency in korea and adoptable to be send overseas.
this system of numbering future international adoptees to mainly (99%) western caucasian and christian adoptive families was to officialize a post-colonialism and evangelical was to report to the korean government by independent adoption korean agencies. between 53 to 1976, private adoption agencies, travel agencies, christians, military and lawyers could practice baby trading. those babies were not numbered and reported in the official adoption numbers. after 1976, under Dictator park chunghee, four adoption agencies were pinpointed to deal with overseas adoption : Holt International Agency (Since 1954, USA/Oregon), Social Welfare Society (since 1953, Sweden), Eastern Social Child Welfare and Korea Social Society. those four adoption agencies use a system of numbering their adoptees in different ways. # was used by Holt from 1965-1976. KL was used by KSS, initials (3 letters) of a social worker was placed after a number with SWS. korean adoptees who don’t have a number were adopted before 1976.
still in 2014 about a thousand of korean babies are send abroad to europe, north america and australia) to serve the demand of international adoption for western and caucasian families.
along with some other korean adoptees, we collaborate or individually produced work surrounding those themes of trans-national, trans-racial, trans-cultural adoption practices and question to whom it really serve. knowing that korea only sign very recently the The Hague Convention on international adoption, and doesn’t respect it. we, adoptee activists, with T.R.A.C.K, A.S.K., K.U.M.F.A. (support to unwed mothers in korea) challenge korean society to protect family and develop an awareness of single-mother and father responsibilities. our allies are koroot (hostel & services for korean adoptees.
# 6261 PROJECT 