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T h E i N B O X On “Tracing an unknown past” (September 2014) The point (of the Korean adoption issue) is that we, as being within the context of the Korean diaspora, still have a part of the Korean history in us, and as long as that is being played down, “objectified,” used against us or being made to make us feel bad and guilty for wanting to know our past and our history, it is akin to emotional blackmail and guilt-tripping, which too many adop- tees already are brainwashed to acquiesce to anyway. We may seem “well-adjusted,” happy, grateful etc., but the point is that we have a right to know our medical history, to meet peo- ple that look like us and, in spite of our enforced cultural imprint of the West, we still may choose to reconnect with our Kore- an-ness. Part of that is returning (often at our own expense) to the country that not only sent us abroad under often false and downright illegal premises resembling more child trafficking than “adoption,” but also made handsome money off us. As long as that is being trampled down by native Koreans, it is to me nothing but a betrayal of their own sense of guilt of not be- ing able to support struggling families, single mothers who often have been coerced and emotionally pressured to “give their child a better future” rather than help them raise their own offspring. It’s so easy to be snotty and self-righteous and blaming adoptees for not being “content” and just “happy, clappy, sappy adoptees” who were “saved” by big white brother because they were/are considered the “better” parents. People … may laugh at us, or choose to be derisive, but it won’t make the national disgrace of Korea ridding itself of children in order to make money while at it go away. Saving money on health care, education (and) looking after their own ought to be a given in any so-called “modern” OECD nation. Korea hasn’t caught up with the 21st century since the baby-selling nation days that were first brought to a stark if unwelcome center of criticism shortly after the Olympics. A lot of so-called “lucky adoptees” have committed suicide. Plenty of Korean adoptees have been subjected to emotional, physical and sexual abuse as well as discrimination by their so- called “wonderful, better” parents — girls and boys: neglected, starved, made to pay off their adoption fee by slaving away as child labourers for their adopters, discriminated against in their own adoptive family. Yeah, choose to make of that what you will. The difference is that those happy adoptees don’t want to hear any of that because that’s the ever growing darker side of adoption. It’s a billion dollar industry where the child is the commodity for the neediness of infertile “rich” people in the West, indifferent, uncaring and profit- hungry “employees” lacking any conscience or true awareness of the consequences of their actions, of adoption agencies in Korea and, vulnerable and isolated and cut off from genuine help and support of families, of single mothers in Korea. You can maybe choose to make of it what you will; we were forced to. Therein lies the biggest difference. By Hanami, commenter on www.groovekorea.com To submit a letter, email opinion@groovekorea.com