Tag Archives: Korea

A New Way to Fight Childhood Obesity

Perhaps the American government could learn a lesson from South Korea… on how to curtail childhood obesity. In a plan that has shocked some families, South Korea’s health ministry officials recently announced that the government is planning to help parents of obese children pay for health club memberships and other activities that can help kids lose weight. The announcement comes on the heels of a new report, which reveals that the rate of childhood obesity in South Korea has tripled over the past three years due to a changing diet of fatty foods and a more sedentary lifestyle. According to … Continue reading →

“Grey’s Anatomy” Star Prepares to Adopt Baby from Korea

Katherine Heigl is apparently blowing off biological babies in much the same way she did with her recent Emmy bid. According to the National Enquirer, the “Grey’s Anatomy” star is planning to adopt a baby from Korea with her husband of less than a year Josh Kelley. The 29-year-old actress, who has become a target of critics since she hit it big on the popular ABC drama and started flapping her lips without thinking, is reportedly going the adoption route because she doesn’t want to have to take time off from working to accommodate the labor and delivery process. According … Continue reading →

Landmark Dates in Adoption History

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Two notable dates in adoption history were the 1955 adoption of eight Korean War orphans by Harry and Bertha Holt, who later facilitated the adoptions of many Korean children. Although later accused of automatically assuming life in America was better for the children and of not doing proper background checks or follow-up on their adoptive families, still the Holts were absolutely instrumental in publicizing the needs of children around the world, especially in Korea. Another landmark date in international adoption was April 1975. At the order of U.S. President Gerald Ford, military planes and jumbo jets loaded with hundreds of … Continue reading →

Adoption Day in Korea Today

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Today, May 11, has been designated as “Adoption Day” in South Korea, the beginning of a week of events promoting domestic adoption among Koreans. Adoption Day was begun last year by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In 2004, 2,258 children left Korea to be adopted in other countries. Primarily the adoptive parents were from U.S. and Australia, but Korean children have also been adopted in the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries, and probably others. In the same year 1,641 Koreans adopted children. This was nearly 100 domestic adoptions more than in 2003. According to editorials in the Korea Times, … Continue reading →

Books for Adults on Adoption from China and Korea

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I recently published a series of blogs on children’s books dealing with adoption, including books specifically featuring kids adopted from different countries. Here, I will present books for adults on adoption from China and Korea. Many are memoirs which tell of adoptive families’ experiences. Others are memoirs of adoptees and even of birthmothers and an adoption worker. Others are serious looks at the topics of preserving heritage and the reasons children are available for adoption. Books for adults on Korean adoption: A Single Square Picture tells the story of a girl adopted at age 7 who returns to search for … Continue reading →

To Travel or Not To Travel?

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When we prepared to receive our first daughter from Korea, we were lucky enough to be able to travel to receive her. Although Korea offers the option of having the child escorted, our child would be older than most of the Korean babies then coming over–between nine and twelve months old, prime stranger anxiety stage. We felt it would be even harder on her to bond with a strange escort for 16 hours or so then be passed over to another set of strange hands. I was trying to think of it from the baby’s point of view. I didn’t … Continue reading →

Traveling to Our Daughter, Part Three: Going Home!

Very early the next morning we were scheduled to go home. I entered the meeting room to find the foster mother sobbing over the baby. I backed out quickly to give her some privacy. The social worker gave me a diaper bag and explained the directions on the formula canister and Tylenol bag, which were in Korean. Although escorting our baby ourselves, we had to sign the same forms volunteer escorts do. After the whole homestudy process, it was a bit strange to be signing papers affirming that I “had babysitting experience” and promised to deliver the baby safely to … Continue reading →