Hopeful adoptive parents in Illinois will return a South Korean baby to her home country, says a March 4 news article from CBS Chicago. Christopher and Jinshil Duquet were informed that U.S. Immigration found inaccuracies in the young girl's paperwork that caused suspicions about the legality of the adoption. The couple opted against using a licensed international adoption agency and instead opted for a South Korean attorney who apparently led them astray.
"When they got to the states, they discovered her documents were invalid," says the article.
The hopeful adoptive parents had no ill-intent when beginning their international adoption journey. After some deliberation, they ultimately gave up the battle with South Korea and agreed to return the child. The nine-month-old baby girl, Sewah Kim, will return to her homeland in the next few days. The child's best interests remained top-of-mind for the Duquets, who inquired as to the future of the little girl once she arrives back in South Korea.
"The Duquets received guarantees Sewah would be adopted by a South Korean family, not placed in an orphanage," says the story.
This news follows changes to Korean adoption laws that went into effect in August 2012. Those changes were intended to reduce problems in the Korean adoption system by creating a stronger focus on keeping Korean-born children in their home country. South Korean officials have expressed a strong desire to ensure that international adoption to countries like the U.S. becomes a last resort for Korean orphans.
Comments