Opinion: After Terrible Tragedy, This Adoptee Asks: ‘What Is a Korean Child Worth?’

Occasionally, we will link to media opinions on aspects of adoption and child welfare that you may never have thought about. This opinion piece discusses Hyunsu O’Callaghan and the indictment of his adoptive father Brian Patrick O’Callaghan.

“I am tempted to dismiss this tragedy in Maryland as a random act of violence and an exception to adoption. However, as a social work professional, I cannot ignore the voices of adult adoptees and Korean unwed mothers who assert that Hyunsu’s death is a result of the inadequate protections to Korean children adopted overseas.

And, after 60 years of Korean adoption and this tragedy, I am left with the question all of us must confront: What is a Korean child worth?”

READ the rest at April issue:After Terrible Tragedy, This Adoptee Asks: ‘What Is a Korean Child Worth?’[KoreAm 4/15/14 by Cassandra Kwok]

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