- Establishing a public adoption system in conformity with international norms, Korea’s ratification of the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention will take effect on October 1, 2025 -

1. The government of the Republic of Korea today deposited its instrument of ratification for the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (hereinafter the “Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention”) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, which serves as the depositary of the Convention.

2. Originally adopted on May 29, 1993, at the 17th Session of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) and entering into force on May 1, 1995, the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention sets out the requirements and procedures for intercountry adoption to ensure that such adoptions are carried out in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights, and to prevent abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children. As of today, 106 countries—including Australia, China, and the United States—are contracting parties to the Convention.

3. Korea signed the Convention on May 24, 2013. Following the promulgation (July 18, 2023) and scheduled enforcement (July 19, 2025) of the Special Act on Domestic Adoption (a full revision of the former Act on Special Cases Concerning Adoption) and the newly enacted Special Act on Intercountry Adoption, which form the domestic legal basis for implementing the Convention, Korea has now proceeded to full ratification—over a decade after the initial signing.

※ In accordance with Article 46 of the Convention, it will enter into force in Korea on October 1, 2025 — the first day of the month following the expiration of three months after the deposit of the instrument of ratification.

4. Going forward, intercountry adoptions will be permitted only when no suitable family can be found in his or her State of origin, and only if deemed to serve the child’s best interests through deliberation by the Adoption Policy Committee under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

5. As Korea’s designated Central Authority under the Convention, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will be responsible, in particular on the basis of the Committee’s deliberation, for:

Assessing the eligibility and suitability of prospective adoptive parents, and the adoptability of the child, determining whether the envisaged placement is in the best interests of the child in accordance with the Convention’s procedures, and coordinating with relevant Central Authorities in other contracting states.

6. The Convention’s provisions will apply not only to children under state care ("children in need of protection") but also to all forms of adoption involving cross-border placements, including stepparent adoption, adoption to foreign countries, and adoption into Korea.

7. Furthermore, under the Convention’s framework for the recognition of the Contracting Parties, adoptions legally concluded in Korea will be recognized in other contracting states, ensuring continuity of legal status for the child.

8. This ratification marks a significant step in establishing an advanced, internationally compliant intercountry adoption system in Korea, reinforcing the government’s commitment to upholding state responsibility across the entire adoption process and to safeguarding the rights of children.