<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[thebecoming]]></title><description><![CDATA[thebecoming]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:43:59 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thebecoming.org/ko/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Welcome to The Becoming]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reclaiming the Story: Why The Becoming Was Created to Demystify the Birth Search Process For many international adoptees, identity isn’t a single, fixed point—it is a lifelong evolution. Yet for Korean Adoptees (KADs), the path toward discovering their origins and understanding their history is rarely a straight line. It is often an intricate journey blocked by dense bureaucratic red tape, complex institutional gatekeeping, and profound linguistic and cultural barriers.   To bridge the gap...]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/welcome-to-the-becoming</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5e9d733357dd2c7433a4e4</guid><category><![CDATA[Featured Article]]></category><category><![CDATA[Organization]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 22:15:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_a5bb6921462d484da540f15a9622ca95~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cultural Displacement: Growing Up Between Worlds]]></title><description><![CDATA[From feeling out of place to reclaiming identity: explore cultural displacement, grief, and proving your worth as an adult Korean adoptee with The Becoming.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/cultural-displacement-growing-up-between-worlds</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ac70f17205e11fdd7996097</guid><category><![CDATA[Resources]]></category><category><![CDATA[Organization]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2026 03:43:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_dd6905e2903d428ba9c87777c5550a62~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>S. Sterner</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mental Health and Suicide Risks Among Korean Adoptees]]></title><description><![CDATA[Learn about suicide risks and mental health challenges facing Korean adoptees, from Complex PTSD and ambiguous loss to clinical studies and support groups.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/mental-health-and-suicide-risks-among-korean-adoptees</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aac7a50c277db7715a84037</guid><category><![CDATA[Resources]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:58:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_818237924db240b1a6eb30ac2a350c36~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Global Adoptions: Annual Placement and Destination Data]]></title><description><![CDATA[A complete annual timeline of South Korean intercountry adoptions (1953–present): explore placement data by country, historical phases, and primary datasets.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/global-adoptions-annual-placement-and-destination-data</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aac473e3f6cb6099e55e0ad</guid><category><![CDATA[Agencies]]></category><category><![CDATA[Holt]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:26:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_1bc2bc1217864157a32ca466b1066766~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dual Citizenship vs. F-4 Visa]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dual citizenship vs. F-4 visa for Korean adoptees: Learn how to apply, understand key legal distinctions, and find essential professional and legal resources.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/dual-citizenship-vs-f-4-visa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aab271c435fe3ebd8e3a0fc</guid><category><![CDATA[Guides]]></category><category><![CDATA[Resources]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:36:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_4b5cf07786484cc49e01504ef9a58bf0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, and Denmark: Response to TRC Findings]]></title><description><![CDATA[Examine government responses to South Korean adoption fraud: state inquiries, formal apologies, agency shutdowns, and origin-search support across 5 nations.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/sweden-the-netherlands-australia-switzerland-and-denmark-response-to-trc-findings</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aab237e2dc1ddd4aee2dd1a</guid><category><![CDATA[TRC]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:24:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_00e4e11e5e8b49f99e92c845e57a90ec~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[TRC1: Findings, Outcomes, Impact, and Continued Support for Adoptees]]></title><description><![CDATA[A comprehensive guide to TRC Korea’s adoption inquiry examines key findings, victim rulings, state obligations, international responses, and research sources.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/trc1-findings-outcomes-impact-and-continued-support-for-adoptees</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aab1a66435fe3ebd8e385c1</guid><category><![CDATA[TRC]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:44:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_17b73ca37bad42dca4c3b0ad4de8637e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Korean Adoptee "Shadow Files"]]></title><description><![CDATA[Korean adoptee shadow files refer to duplicate, unredacted, or confidential domestic records maintained internally by South Korean adoption agencies that were systematically withheld from foreign adoptive parents, overseas partner agencies, and adult adoptees. During the peak transnational adoption era (1970s–1990s), South Korea’s "Big Four" agencies—Holt Children’s Services, Social Welfare Society (SWS/KWS), Korea Social Service (KSS), and Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS)—operated a...]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/korean-adoptee-shadow-files</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aab1709ae7698330074efa6</guid><category><![CDATA[Agencies]]></category><category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category><category><![CDATA[TRC]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:27:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_734baf35c1f24c7a8422f8fc2b5c5422~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Biological Parents Relinquishment Letters and Surrender Forms]]></title><description><![CDATA[Explore the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's findings on how private Korean agencies obtained fraudulent child relinquishments during the peak intercountry adoption decades.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/biological-parents-relinquishment-letters-and-surrender-forms</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aab144f2dc1ddd4aee2b9a5</guid><category><![CDATA[Agencies]]></category><category><![CDATA[Holt]]></category><category><![CDATA[TRC]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:22:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_8c0e2a61c9cd4637ab0741d821dd349c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[TRC Overview &#38; How They Help KADs]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Republic of Korea (TRC) (진실·화해를위한과거사정리위원회) is an independent, state-sanctioned fact-finding commission established under the Framework Act on Clearing Up Past Affairs for Truth and Reconciliation. Historically tasked with investigating civilian massacres surrounding the Korean War and state violence under authoritarian military regimes, the TRC’s mandate was expanded to include human rights violations within South Korea’s historical transnational...]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/trc-overview-how-they-help-kads</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa5a405f448a9cd17b69a3d</guid><category><![CDATA[TRC]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 19:44:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_f84cf1236fc54e99a9545b9e996d1727~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_883,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Requesting Your Adoption Certificate]]></title><description><![CDATA[Step-by-step guide to requesting an official Korean Adoption Verification Certificate via NCRC. Find out what documents you need, fees, and how to apply online.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/requesting-your-adoption-certificate</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa467005462f0629b9cdd4e</guid><category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category><category><![CDATA[Guides]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:45:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_64096d309e214bd8a4245dfb2ceddd88~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mapping the Pipeline: Where Korean Adoptees Were Placed in America, the Heartland Hubs, and How the System Recruited Parents]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mapping the Korean adoption pipeline in America: church recruitment, major placement hubs in Minnesota and the Heartland, and the role of local agencies.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/mapping-the-pipeline-where-korean-adoptees-were-placed-in-america-the-heartland-hubs-and-how-the</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa4495048f625a57e8a4da1</guid><category><![CDATA[Agencies]]></category><category><![CDATA[Holt]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:48:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_2b80ab579d0648a89a77b80c8dc77590~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The "Baby Plane": Transpacific Flights, Escorts, and the Mechanics of the Korean Adoptee Pipeline]]></title><description><![CDATA[Explore the history of the "baby plane"—the logistics, volunteer escorts, and industrial pipeline that transported 200,000 Korean adoptees across the globe.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/the-baby-plane-transpacific-flights-escorts-and-the-mechanics-of-the-korean-adoptee-pipeline</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa444716b6b040961d9614c</guid><category><![CDATA[Agencies]]></category><category><![CDATA[Holt]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:20:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_546855958273421fb8aca298ce84e247~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Step-by-Step Guide to Requesting an NCRC Visit]]></title><description><![CDATA[Step-by-step guide for Korean adoptees to set up an NCRC account, pass international SMS verification, and submit an Adoption Information Disclosure request.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/step-by-step-guide-to-requesting-an-ncrc-visit</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa425b4d83f50a13ada51b8</guid><category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category><category><![CDATA[Guides]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:32:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_c53c8cb4ea974ff6b21b97601cd9491a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What to Expect to Be Redacted In Your Adoption File]]></title><description><![CDATA[Understand what gets redacted in Korean adoption files under the NCRC disclosure process, why birth parent data is masked, and what details you will receive.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/what-to-expect-to-be-redacted-in-your-adoption-file</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa3650c5462f0629b9ac6af</guid><category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category><category><![CDATA[Guides]]></category><category><![CDATA[Featured Article]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:23:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_c3c1406628b9427bb60587afee60003f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Common Documents In Adoption Files]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Korean adoption file typically contains a mixture of civil government registry records, internal Korean agency case files, and sanitized English summary sheets prepared for foreign adoptive parents.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/common-documents-in-adoption-files</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa36141d096cde556073ce7</guid><category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:07:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_3e51224f3ee74964a141005767e8feb9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[DNA Testing: Fragmented System]]></title><description><![CDATA[For Korean adoptees, genetic testing is often viewed as the final frontier of truth—especially when paperwork has been falsified, altered, or destroyed. However, navigating DNA testing in South Korea involves navigating complex bureaucratic realities, siloed databases, and cultural friction.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/dna-testing-fragmented-system</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa35e9d6b6b040961d7818b</guid><category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:55:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_2eb5d5b2530d4eabaa206374279c437e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[DNA Testing with Korean Police]]></title><description><![CDATA[Under the Act on the Protection and Support of Missing Children, an adoptee can report directly to the police as an individual searching for biological parents or family.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/dna-testing-with-korean-police</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa35c4d571318e8c9e3020c</guid><category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:48:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_43c584343c594499bbeaacefe90ecef7~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Adoptees MUST Submit DNA to Police &#38; NCRC]]></title><description><![CDATA[The NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) Adoption Registry and the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) Missing Persons DNA Database operate under different ministries, different statutory authorities, and different legal mandates.]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/adoptees-must-submit-dna-to-police-ncrc</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa357ef571318e8c9e2f6bc</guid><category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category><category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:25:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_715600fe245448b2a476ac817f6858f9~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_960,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[National Center for the Rights of the Child]]></title><description><![CDATA[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 &#38; Fragmentation (Pre-2019) For decades following the Korean War,...]]></description><link>https://www.thebecoming.org/post/national-center-for-the-rights-of-the-child</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5fc0745514a6e974a52f46</guid><category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:57:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81ade1_d8e8d9fe8bba42c7b2b841314b70a946~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_929,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>A. Choi</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>