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The National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC; Korean: 아동권리보장원) is South Korea’s central public agency responsible for child welfare, child protection, and adoption management under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Its creation represents a major structural shift in South Korea—transitioning child welfare from a fragmented system run by private agencies to a unified, government-directed framework. 1. Background & Fragmentation (Pre-2019) For decades following t

To understand the South Korean adoption system is to view the evolution of a country trying to heal from the trauma of war, navigating intense Cold War politics, and eventually transforming itself from a completely privatized "exporter" of children into a state-regulated system that prioritizes child welfare. The history can be broken down into five distinct eras, mapping out how the country got from pre-Harry Holt to today. 1. Pre-Harry Holt (Joseon Dynasty to 1953): Clan Pr