South Korea faces accusations of fraud and abuse in adoption process: Report
After a three-year investigation, South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission found widespread abuse and fraud in the country’s foreign adoption process. The commission held the government responsible for enabling these practices. They say it resulted in many adoptees being falsely labeled as orphans and denied proper consent from biological parents.
More than 140,000 South Korean children have been adopted by families abroad over the past 75 years.
The commission called on the government to issue a public apology and implement a survey to track adoptees’ citizenship status.
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After three years of investigation and hundreds of complaints, South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has uncovered troubling findings regarding the country’s foreign adoption process. The investigation, sparked by allegations from 367 adoptees from countries like Europe, the United States and Australia, blames the government for enabling abuse and fraud in the several-decade-old adoption system.
South Korea became major player in foreign adoption
South Korea’s adoption industry grew in the aftermath of the Korean War and the devastation left by World War II. For 75 years, families abroad adopted more than 140,000 South Korean children, with many of them now grown adults living in 11 different countries. Many of these individuals have spoken out about what they claim were malpractices in their adoption process.
“The word ‘active,’ coupled with ‘hurry-hurry culture,’ led to inadequate legislation and a hasty administrative process. The children bore the full brunt of the consequences.”
Park Sun Young, chairperson of Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Government’s role in abuse, fraud claims
The Truth Commission has found significant evidence that records were falsified to label adoptees as orphans abandoned by their biological parents. In many cases, this led to the breakdown of parental consent. Additionally, some adoptive parents were not properly screened, and others had to pay money to be granted a child.
More than half of the first 100 cases reviewed by the commission revealed human rights violations. Many adoptees had their complaints dismissed due to a lack of documentation. They argue this situation proves their case, given the absence of any formal protocol followed.
Calls for apology and support
The commission has called on the South Korean government to issue a public apology for its lack of oversight, acknowledging the pain caused to adoptees and their families. They also recommended conducting a survey to gather information about the citizenship of each adoptee, further highlighting the need for greater transparency in the process.
Despite the ongoing investigation, which began in 2022, the commission will not officially conclude until May. However, it has already made a stark assessment of the decades-old practices that continue to affect adoptees today.
Adoptees struggle to reconnect with birth parents
According to government data obtained by the Associated Press, less than a fifth of the 15,000 adoptees who requested help finding their biological families have been successfully reunited since 2012. This data underscores the long-standing challenges adoptees face in reconnecting with their roots.
South Korean president faces impeachment calls after martial law order
Political unrest grows in South Korea after the president’s short-lived martial law order. And U.S. officials urge Americans to use encrypted messaging apps after a massive cyberattack. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
Push to impeach South Korea’s president after martial law declaration
It may have been short-lived, but the South Korean president’s declaration of martial law could have implications for months to come as six opposition parties have moved to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol.
Martial law grants the military temporary rule during an emergency, which the president can legally declare. Yoon sent heavily armed forces into the streets of Seoul Tuesday, Dec. 3, after suddenly and unexpectedly putting the country under martial law — vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces he claimed were planning a rebellion.
Action was swift, with protesters surrounding South Korea’s parliament building. Lawmakers climbed walls to get back into the building and used fire extinguishers to hold soldiers off so they could unanimously vote to cancel the martial law declaration just hours after it was put in place.
Impeaching Yoon requires the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least six of the country’s nine constitutional court justices. The liberal opposition Democratic Party holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament and has called for Yoon’s resignation.
WATCH: Soldiers arrive at South Korea's parliament after president declares martial law pic.twitter.com/cZX4vsM34y
One Democratic Party lawmaker said an impeachment vote could come as early as Friday, Dec. 5.
Martial law is a sensitive subject in South Korea, which has only been a democracy since the 1980s. Before that, in the wake of the Korean War which ended in 1953, multiple dictatorships emerged with leaders often declaring martial law to prevent antigovernmental protests.
South Korea is considered a key ally of the United States and White House officials said they are “monitoring the situation closely.” The U.S. has about 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea.
Trump’s nominees to lead DEA, FBI, DOD making headlines
Three of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for his incoming administration made headlines Tuesday. One nominee dropped out, another was the target of a possible cyberattack, and the third could be replaced.
Trump had nominated Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency. On Tuesday, Chronister took his name out of the running, saying in a post on X to have been nominated was “an honor of a lifetime” but “as the gravity of this very responsibility set in” he concluded that he must “respectfully withdraw from consideration.”
To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully… pic.twitter.com/bvNF8m9Bh4
The nomination came under fire from some Trump supporters over Chronister’s enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions during the pandemic. This marks the second Trump nominee to withdraw his name after former Congressman Matt Gaetz said he would not continue his bid to become attorney general.
Meanwhile, reports say Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, was the target of a possible Iran-backed cyberattack. Sources familiar with the situation told multiple outlets, including ABC News and CBS News, the alleged hackers targeted Patel’s communications, but it was not clear how much data they were able to view.
Patel held various roles during Trump’s first term including chief of staff to the secretary of defense.
Finally, there might be a change when it comes to the next defense secretary. The Wall Street Journal and other outlets reported Wednesday morning, Dec. 4, that Trump’s pick of former Fox News anchor and military veteran Pete Hegseth’s is in doubt.
Since his nomination, Hegseth has been the subject of reports on allegations about his personal life, including claims of sexual misconduct, repeated intoxication and rampant womanizing. Hegseth has denied those allegations.
The Wall Street Journal and New York Post both reported Trump is considering Florida governor and former GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Hegseth. Desantis served in the U.S. Navy before becoming governor.
Both Trump and DeSantis attended a memorial service Tuesday for fallen law enforcement officers in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Hegseth has been meeting with Senate Republicans at the Capitol this week to try to rally support ahead of confirmation hearings. People close to the president-elect’s team said talks of a replacement are in the early stages and the next 48 hours are crucial to Hegseth’s fate.
Trump’s lawyers ask judge to toss conviction, cite Biden’s pardon
President-elect Trump’s lawyers have officially asked a judge to throw out his criminal conviction in his so-called “hush money” case.
In May, a jury found Trump guilty of 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a payment to a porn actor who claimed she and trump had sex. Trump has long denied that.
In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers said continuing the case would present “disruptions to the institution of the presidency” and undermine the transition of power as he prepares to take back the Oval Office next month.
Lawyers also pointed to President Joe Biden’s recent move to pardon his son Hunter of his convictions on tax fraud and gun charges where the president said Hunter was “unfairly prosecuted” as a reason Trump’s case should be dismissed. Trump’s lawyers called his prosecution “political theater.”
Prosecutors have until Monday, Dec. 9 to respond. In the past, they said they would fight efforts to dismiss the case but indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in January 2029.
Americans urged to use encrypted messaging apps after cyberattack
U.S. officials are recommending Americans use encrypted messaging apps amid a cyberattack on telecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon. Cybersecurity experts advise you to encrypt your text messages and voice communication, if possible.
Threat actors affiliated with the Chinese government have compromised telecom provider networks to conduct a cyber espionage campaign. Network defenders should read new guidance from the #FBI and our partners to harden their systems against this activity: https://t.co/yzh7NedOAepic.twitter.com/GXsN7lbB0f
Officials said China is behind the attack in an attempt to spy on Americans. Chinese officials have not addressed the accusations.
Cyber Monday pulls in record $13.3 billion in sales
Your chances to get some of the deepest discounts of the holiday shopping season have passed with Cyber Monday now in the books. Consumers took full advantage, collectively spending a record $13.3 billion online during Cyber Monday.
Adobe Analytics said that’s up 7.3% from last year and surpassed projections of $13.2 billion in sales. The company said between the peak hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Alone, people spent a combined $15.8 million every 60 seconds.
Adobe said “buy now, pay later” plans were quite popular, accounting for more than $991 million worth of Cyber Monday spending.
Beyoncé tops Billboard’s list of the greatest pop stars of 21st century
The music charting site said the choice is based on Beyoncé’s “full 25 years of influence, impact, [and] evolution.” Billboard added when talking about greatness in the 21st century, nobody else has a longer or fuller track record.
North Korea blows up key roads, rail lines on border with South Korea
North Korea carried out explosions Tuesday, Oct. 15, that destroyed sections of inter-Korean roads and rail lines along its side of the heavily fortified border with South Korea, marking an escalation in already heightened tensions between the two countries. The South Korean military confirmed the blasts, which took place on the Gyeongui and Donghae lines—two key routes that connect the Koreas.
The actions follow Pyongyang’s recent declaration to sever all rail and road links with the South and further fortify its side of the border. The North’s military deployed heavy equipment to the area, presumably to continue dismantling infrastructure. In response, South Korea’s forces fired warning shots south of the Military Demarcation Line. No damage was reported on the South Korean side.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the country is closely monitoring North Korean activities and maintaining heightened surveillance in cooperation with U.S. forces. South Korea’s unification ministry condemned the North’s actions as a violation of past agreements, calling the incident “highly abnormal.”
The North’s decision to dismantle the border infrastructure comes after a year of escalating tensions. In December 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un officially designated South Korea as a “hostile state.”
Since May 2024, Pyongyang has sent thousands of “trash balloons” across the border in response to similar launches from South Korea, where anti-regime activists have been sending materials such as leaflets and rice into North Korea. Tensions worsened further last week when North Korea accused Seoul of flying drones over Pyongyang.
North Korea reportedly communicated its plans to fortify the border to U.S. forces stationed in South Korea to avoid misjudgments or accidental conflict. However, tensions remain high. South Korea has warned that any provocation from the North will be met with strong retaliation.
The destroyed roads and rail lines were part of inter-Korean cooperation projects initiated after a 2018 summit, aimed at improving connectivity between the two Koreas. South Korea had invested more than $132 million in these projects through loans to the North, which remains obligated to repay them.
This is not the first time North Korea has destroyed infrastructure tied to inter-Korean agreements. In 2020, North Korea demolished a joint liaison office after the collapse of nuclear talks with the United States.
North Korea’s actions have drawn international concern, with China urging both sides to avoid further escalation. South Korea has stated that it is prepared to defend itself and respond to any provocations as tensions continue to mount along the border.
North Korea sends hundreds of balloons carrying feces, trash into South Korea
Over 260 balloons were detected landing in various locations, including Seoul, with some traveling more than 180 miles from the border. The balloons carried items such as garbage, plastic bottles, old batteries and manure. Although no damage was reported, chemical and bomb disposal units are analyzing the collected objects.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned these acts by North Korea as clear violations of international law, posing serious threats to citizen safety. The attack follows North Korea’s declaration of a “tit-for-tat action” in response to anti-Pyongyang leaflets recently sent by South Korean activists. These developments further complicate relations between the two nations, which are technically still at war.
South Korea, the United States and Japan have denounced North Korea’s actions as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
For years, North Korean defectors and South Korean activists have used balloons to send leaflets northward, encouraging opposition to the Pyongyang regime. In efforts to break Kim Jong Un’s information control, these activists have also launched balloons carrying one-dollar banknotes, radios, CDs and leaflets denouncing the regime since 2014.
Russian, Chinese officials meet in North Korea amid tensions with US
Senior officials from Russia and China visited North Korea as the country gets set to mark 70 years since the armistice that ended the Korean War. The anniversary is Thursday, July 27.
The officials, which include Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, were expected to attend a massive military parade showcasing North Korea’s latest weaponry. According to analysts, the spectacle will likely include the North’s nuclear-tipped missiles. These missiles are banned by the United Nations Security Council, of which Russia and China are permanent members.
“China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors, and the continuous consolidation and development of China-DPRK relations are in the common interests of both sides and conducive to the promotion of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday, July 26. “China is willing to work with the DPRK, guided by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and countries, and in accordance with the requirements of the new era and the wishes of the people of the two countries, to push forward bilateral relations with continuous and greater development.”
China has reappointed Wang Yi as foreign minister on Tuesday, July 25, a month after the previous foreign minister disappeared from public view. While Wang has been a fixture in U.S.-China relations for years, experts said his return is unlikely to yield any major easing of tensions.
North Korea holds mass anti-US rallies, touts ability to hit America with nukes
According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, about 120,000 North Koreans participated in mass rallies to mark the 73rd anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. The war began June 25, 1950.
The rallies featured strong anti-U.S. sentiments from the North Korean people, who shouted slogans vowing a “war of revenge” to destroy the U.S. While the Korean War was triggered by a North Korean surprise attack, attendees at the rallies accused the U.S. of provoking the war and leaving Koreans with “wounds … that can never be healed.”
Photos released by KCNA showed rallygoers holding signs reading “The whole U.S. mainland is within our shooting range,” “The imperialist U.S. is the destroyer of peace” and “Let’s eradicate U.S. imperialist invaders.”
People attend a mass rally denouncing the U.S. in Pyongyang, North Korea, June 25, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS
Those who are attending the rallies in North Korea also expressed pride in the country’s expanding nuclear weapons and missile programs. The North has been testing various weapons including its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile, ramping up tension with South Korea and the U.S.
According to KCNA, North Korea has “the strongest absolute weapon to punish the U.S. imperialists” and the “avengers on this land are burning with the indomitable will to revenge the enemy.”
In a separate foreign ministry report, North Korea said the U.S. was “making desperate efforts to ignite a nuclear war.”
In their latest telephone discussion over North Korea, the U.S. and South Korean nuclear envoys accused Pyongyang of distorting history. They vowed tighter diplomatic and security cooperation between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo to cope with the threat posed by the North.
Russia attempts to move on from Wagner Group revolt: June 26 rundown
The Wagner Group staged a revolt against Russia, and a bridge collapse in Montana sent a hazardous freight train into a river. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Monday, June 26, 2023.
Dust settles in Russia following Wagner group revolt
Russia’s defense minister made his first public appearance since a mercenary group fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine turned on Russia. Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his mercenaries to march on Moscow Saturday. The Wagner Group was even able to take over a Russian city before a deal with Russia’s government to end the revolt was reached less than 24 hours later.
Under the deal, Prigozhin will move to Belarus. Neither he nor his Wagner Group mercenaries will be prosecuted.
Some analysts called the revolt the greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than 20 years in power. They added it may create a whole new dynamic regarding the war in Ukraine.
“The fact that this deal appears to have given Prigozhin a sort of free pardon to retire into Belarus and that the Wagner mercenaries will be absorbed into regular Russian army is perhaps a surprise, but it’s also why I think this saga isn’t finally over,” former UK ambassador to the UN Sir Mark Lyall Grant said Sunday, June 25. “Because I find it very hard to believe that Prigozhin will have a quiet peaceful retirement in Belarus.”
North Koreans rally against the United States
More than 120,000 people in North Korea took part in a massive anti-U.S. rally. The rally came as the country observed the 73rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War.
The war was triggered by a North Korean surprise attack. However, the North continues to blame the U.S. for provoking the war.
The weekend rally came at a time of swelling North Korean nationalism, as the country boasts an expansion of its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Since 2022, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un has fired more than 100 missiles to test the country’s ability to conduct nuclear strikes on the U.S. and South Korea.
Hazardous train plunges into river after bridge collapse
A bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed in Montana, causing a freight train carrying hazardous materials to plunge into the water below. The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur.
Officials temporarily shut down drinking water intakes downstream. Small communities use reservoirs full of treated water from the Yellowstone River. All water treatment plants have since resumed operations.
The cause of the bridge’s collapse is under investigation. The river had been full with recent heavy rains, but it’s unclear if that was a factor.
Tornadoes in the Midwest, extreme heat in the South
Video captured a fast-moving tornado as it tore through residential buildings just south of Indianapolis. At least one person died and about a dozen homes were damaged in the storm system. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power overnight Sunday and into Monday morning.
A destructive tornado ripped through buildings in Indiana, as a powerful storm ravaged several counties south of Indianapolis, leaving at least one dead and another injured, officials said. https://t.co/SHDGenGTFRpic.twitter.com/shITg7yjgw
In Minnesota and North Dakota, there were reports of as many as 18 tornadoes.
Meanwhile in the South, tens of millions of Americans are under excessive heat warnings. In Texas, temperatures remain in the triple digits. The Central Plains is expected to experience a similar heat wave later this week.
D.C. airports ground flights over air traffic control issue
Flights at Washington D.C.’s two major airports were paused Sunday evening for about an hour. There was a problem at a major air traffic control facility on site.
Operations were restarted after repairs to a communications power panel were made. The Federal Aviation Administration offered no further details on what caused the need for repairs.
A San Antonio airport employee was ingested into the engine of a Delta airplane on Friday, June 26. This is the second type of this incident in six months after another crew worker was ingested into a plane at an Alabama airport on Dec. 31, 2022.
Ford vehicles under investigation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Ford vehicles that could roll away even when placed in park. In 2022, Ford recalled nearly 300,000 Explorer SUVs and added a software update to fix the glitch.
NHTSA said its received complaints even after repairs were made. One complaint came from a driver who struck a utility pole. The driver said their car would slam to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30 to 40 miles per hour.
The original recall covered certain 2020 through 2022 Explorer models. Ford said they are working with NHTSA to resolve the matter.
Here’s how much national debt climbed under each US president since WWII
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States sent hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of weaponry to the Ukrainians. Things like Javelin anti-tank missiles and HIMARS rockets. Now, as China seems poised to launch an invasion of Taiwan, some are concerned that the U.S. might not have enough weapons to help the self-governing island defend itself.
Defending Taiwan is a vastly different undertaking from U.S. efforts with Ukraine. Unlike in Ukraine, where Russia could assemble troops along the border before invading, the Chinese would have to cross 100 miles of open ocean to launch an assault. There hasn’t been an amphibious assault on such a scale since the Korean War.
Preventing the Chinese from establishing a beachhead would be critical to defending the island. If the Chinese succeeded in establishing a footing and is able to transport troops and weapons to the island, the battle is probably over.
The U.S. is currently helping Taiwan upgrade an early warning radar system, and sending Sidewinder and Harpoon Block II missiles. Harpoons are great at sinking enemy ships.
If China were to invade, resupplying Taiwan might not be possible. Military experts say the invasion goes hand-in-hand with a blockade, which would prevent resupply by sea. And the Chinese Air Force would certainly contest the skies. So, Taiwan needs to be a fortress capable of withstanding a prolonged siege.
Helping Taiwan defend itself from China will be a long-term endeavor, but it’s not entirely unexpected. According to the recently released U.S. National Defense Strategy, while Russia poses an immediate and acute threat to national security, China remains the greatest long-term challenge.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the report that China is the only competitor “with both the intent to reshape the international order, and increasingly the power to do so.”
