Receiving Countries
Denmark
In 2022, the Danish Appeals Board (Ankerystelsen) an independent public authority that functions as the highest administrative appeals body in welfare and social matters, became aware of a number of issues raised by the organisation Danish Korean Rights Group (DKRG) concerning the mediation of international adoptions from South Korea to Denmark. The Ankestyreksen had the task of approving all foreign adoptions after the intercountry adoption system had been reformed in 2016, following scandals and alleged irregularities in the media.[1] Around the same time, the South Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) decided to investigate the specific cases submitted by the DKRG, for their alleged issues of illegal conduct. The TRC’s findings, which became public in March 2025, revealed systemic irregularities in adoptions from South Korea between the 1970s and the 1980s. After becoming aware of such findings, a member of Denmark’s Liberal Alliance Party, Katrine Daugaard, urged the Danish government to initiate its own impartial investigation into such irregularities.[2]
In 2023, the Danish Appeals Board launched its own inquiry, which culminated in a report published in 2024 on adoptions from South Korea to Denmark during the same years. The study focused on South Korea as it was the largest sending country for Danish adoptions during the period taken into consideration.
The investigation focused on adoptions mediated by DanAdopt, Terrestrial des Hommes and AC Børnehjæl in cooperation with Korean partner institutions, such as Holt Children’s Services and Korea Social Service (KSS). Its objectives were to: analyse how adoption mediation from South Korea functioned between the 1970s and 1980s; assess whether Danish authorities and agencies complied with laws and ethical standards; clarify the degree of state oversight and awareness of the irregularities; evaluate the treatment of adoptees and their access to origin information; provide recommendations.
The investigation drew on archival material from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the two adoption agencies and other institutions, as well as interviews with adoptees and agency representatives. In total, the study covered 250 cases in depth.
The report’s findings reveal a pattern of systemic irregularities, institutional weaknesses and economic incentives influencing adoptions between Korea and Denmark. More specifically, until the 1980s Denmark lacked comprehensive legislation governing intercountry adoptions, which resulted in minimal oversight and an assumption that both Korean partners and Danish agencies acted ethically, without a system of verification of children’s documentation. Many children were listed as “orphans” despite having living relatives, some were declared abandoned without adequate investigations and numerous cases showed inconsistent information in adoption papers, suggesting a possible manipulation of the information contained therein.
The system in South Korea was financially self-sustaining: Korean partner organisations received payments that would incentivise to continue adoptions. As in Sweden, the report confirmed that Danish agencies were aware of irregular practices and that occasionally raised concerns rarely reached state authorities. The report concluded that both Danish authorities and adoption agencies beared shared responsibility for the systemic shortcomings identified. Although the investigation did not declare the adoptions illegal, it stated that they failed to meet basic ethical standards, which in turn revealed a pattern of negligence and dependency between sending and receiving countries.
The Ankestyrelsen proposed several reforms, including guaranteeing that all adoptees can have access to their original documentation, through the creation of a centralised archive for intercountry adoptions: strengthening the supervision of adoption agencies and ensuring state-funded psychological and legal assistance for adoptees. Furthermore, the report called on the Danish government to publicly acknowledge and apologise for its shortcomings and for the harm caused by past irregularities.
Political and policy responses
Following the revelations of the inquiry, Denmark’s only active adoption agency (Danish International Adoption, DIA) announced that it would pause operations, initiating a controlled “wind up of its activities.”[3] This decision came also after a confidential report from the Danish Agency for Family Affairs revealed further troubling conditions in India, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan and the Czech Republic.[4] Only then, the government temporarily suspended adoptions in the remaining countries working with the DIA.[5]
In June 2025, a political consensus was reached in the Danish parliament to start investigating past adoptions handled between 1964 and 2016, 1964 was chosen as a start year because Denmark’s first documented international adoptions began in the mid 1960s.[6] While this new national inquiry proceeds, there are no new intercountry adoptions taking place in Denmark. This represents a “de facto” ban, which may become permanent if further irregularities are found. Alongside the inquiry, a ministerial working group was set up to analyse options for the future framework of intercountry adoptions and assistance has been strengthened for adult adoptees. These include funding for several initiatives: 15 million DKK, between 2026 and 2029, for free independent legal counselling for internationally adopted persons who wish to investigate or legally challenge aspects of their adoption; 19.2 million DKK to place dedicated staff at Danish embassies in four key sending countries (South Korea, India, Vietnam, Lebanon) to actively assist Danish adoptees for two years in accessing local records and tracing birth family information; and 10.8 million DKK to strengthen post-adoption psychological counselling in Denmark.[7]
What began as an examination of a single, notorious case within a single country, South Korea, has therefore evolved into a comprehensive re-evaluation of the entire intercountry adoption system in the country.
In November 2024, eight adoptees, five of which are from South Korea, sent a claim to the Danish state for an alleged violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Sidse Koch Jorgensen, Sofie Randel, Nikolaj Dausell, Eva Tind and Gitte Mose, along with the other adoptees, are claiming compensation (a total of 2 million DKK) for the systemic human trafficking that allegedly happened under Denmark’s watch. They sustain that suing the state represents a way to receive recognition for what has happened to them. The Ministry of Social Affairs, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, has not commented on the request, and there are no further updates on the pending legal proceedings at the time of writing.[8]
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[1] ‘Hun førte tilsyn med adoptioner: “Systemet er pilråddent”’ (Danwatch, 20 February 2024) <https://danwatch.dk/hun-foerte-tilsyn-med-adoptioner-systemet-er-pilraaddent/> accessed 1 December 2025.
[2] Katrine Daugaard, ‘Interview: Danish lawmaker calls on Denmark to confront adoption scandal following South Korea’s probe results’ (The Korea Times, 1 April 2025) <https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20250401/interview-danish-lawmaker-calls-on-denmark-to-confront-adoption-scandal-following-south-koreas-probe-results> accessed 8 November 2025.
[3] ‘Denmark ends international adoptions’ (Barron’s, 16 January 2024) <https://www.barrons.com/news/denmark-ends-international-adoptions-83a5a6a4> accessed 8 November 2025.
[4] Karoline Rosenkrantz Paasch, ‘Danish lawmakers question adoptions over child trafficking concerns in Thailand, Philippines and Taiwan’ (ScandAsia, 16 December 2024) <https://scandasia.com/danish-lawmakers-question-adoptions-over-child-trafficking-concerns-in-thailand-philippines-and-taiwan/> accessed 8 November 2025; ‘Denmark ends international adoptions from 6 countries, including Philippines’ (GMA News Online, 18 January 2024). <https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/world/894549/denmark-ends-international-adoptions-from-6-countries-including-philippines/story/> accessed 1 December 2025.
[5] ‘Is the end coming for intercountry adoption in Europe?’ (CNE News, 26 January 2024) <https://cne.news/article/4079-is-the-end-coming-for-intercountry-adoption-in-europe> accessed 8 November 2025.
[6] ‘Government announces major investigation into international adoption’ (The Copenhagen Post, 4 June 2025) <https://cphpost.dk/2025-06-04/news/round-up/government-announces-major-investigation-into-international-adoption/> accessed 8 November 2025.
[7] ‘Ny aftale om en samlet indsats på adoptionsområdet’ (Social-og Boligministeriet, 4 June 2025) <https://www.sm.dk/nyheder/nyhedsarkiv/2025/jun/ny-aftale-om-en-samlet-indsats-paa-adoptionsomraadet> accessed 1 December 2025.
[8] ‘Adopterede kræver erstatning fra den danske stat: Det har været systematisk manneskehandel?’ (TV 2 Nyheder, 26 November 2024) <https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2024-11-26-adopterede-kraever-erstatning-fra-den-danske-stat-det-har-vaeret-systematisk-menneskehandel> accessed 8 November 2025.
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