Adoptees and advocates push for transparency as investigations shed light on decades of misconduct
Bill Vorhees, formerly known as Lee Jung-won, and his involuntary journey from South Korea to an adoptive family in the U.S. underscores the profound risks inherent in international adoption practices: the personal trauma endured by adoptees and the pervasive illegal and unethical adoption practices.
At just 7 years old, Vorhees’ life was irrevocably altered in 1976 when he was snatched from his mother. His abductors subsequently handed him over to Holt Children's Services, a South Korean adoption agency, which falsely designated him as an orphan.
Bill Vorhees, formerly known as Lee Jung-won, and his involuntary journey from South Korea to an adoptive family in the U.S. underscores the profound risks inherent in international adoption practices: the personal trauma endured by adoptees and the pervasive illegal and unethical adoption practices.
At just 7 years old, Vorhees’ life was irrevocably altered in 1976 when he was snatched from his mother. His abductors subsequently handed him over to Holt Children's Services, a South Korean adoption agency, which falsely designated him as an orphan.
Get 30 days
of free access to
KoreaPro
-
Full access to all analysis
-
The KOREA PRO newsletter, every business day
-
Daily analysis on the top story of the day
-
The ability to suggest topics for coverage by our specialist team
Be smart about South Korea
Get full access to expert analysis and opinion.
Start
now
No charges during your trial. Cancel anytime. A paid subscription will start after 30 days.
© Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved.
No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for
commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk
Group.