Post Reports: Was He Given Up for Adoption? Or Was He Taken?

Published on July 21, 2025 by The Washington Post

Introduction

In the July 21, 2025 episode of Post Reports, hosted by Elahay Izadi and featuring reporter Kelly Kasulis Cho, the Washington Post delves into one of South Korea's most significant adoption scandals. The episode explores the harrowing experiences of Aaron Gregorczyk, a South Korean adoptee, and uncovers systemic issues within South Korea's international adoption processes.

Aaron Gregorczyk’s Origin Story

Aaron Gregorczyk believed his life began with a straightforward adoption narrative. Born in South Korea in 1988, he was told that his teenage mother relinquished him due to financial hardships.

• Elahay Izadi [00:02]: "Aaron Gregorczyk thought he knew his origin story. He was born in South Korea in 1988 and then his mother gave him up for adoption."

• Aaron Gregorczyk [00:12]: "The original story that I read on my paperwork, that I was abandoned by a 19-year-old... I had accepted."

Unveiling the Scandal

In March, a South Korean Investigative Commission report exposed a decades-long fraud involving charity organizations that falsified records and illegally exported children for profit, shaking thousands of adoptees worldwide.

• Elahay Izadi [00:24]: "A South Korean Investigative commission report revealed that the country had been complicit in a decades long crime."

Background on South Korean International Adoptions

South Korea has been a leading source of international adoptees, with over 200,000 children adopted abroad since the Korean War. Post-war poverty and a lack of robust child welfare systems contributed to the high number of adoptions.

• Kelly Kasulis Cho [07:23]: "More than 200,000 South Korean children were adopted internationally since the Korean War."

• Elahay Izadi [07:53]: "Korea in post-war poverty didn't necessarily have a robust child welfare system to take care of the poor."

Impact on Adoptees

Many adoptees, like Aaron, are now questioning their origins. The revelation has led to emotional turmoil, substance abuse issues, and legal troubles, as exemplified by Aaron’s descent into a life of crime before turning his life around.

• Aaron Gregorczyk [06:10]: "By 2019, all of my sources of income were entirely illegal. I was essentially a career criminal."

• Kelly Kasulis Cho [06:25]: "He really lost his way for quite some time."

Government Investigation and Findings

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established to investigate these abuses, found evidence of forced adoptions, falsified identities, and coercion by private agencies. However, the lack of comprehensive records limited the scope of their findings.

• Kelly Kasulis Cho [10:18]: "Children's names being falsified or... swapped with the name of a child that passed away."

• Elahay Izadi [12:14]: "It was a profit-driven industry that was designed to meet demand."

Aaron’s Quest for the Truth

Upon discovering the scandal, Aaron began scrutinizing his adoption papers and connecting with other adoptees online. He noticed alarming similarities in their adoption stories, leading him to suspect foul play in his own adoption process.

• Aaron Gregorczyk [16:22]: "It's almost, nearly a copy-paste... Over the course of years."

• Aaron Gregorczyk [23:37]: "Maybe my paperwork was exactly... Maybe it happened exactly that way."

Challenges in Reconnecting

Aaron reached out to his adoption agency, which initially promised to connect him with his birth mother. After weeks of waiting and minimal responses, he remains uncertain about his biological origins.

• Aaron Gregorczyk [21:23]: "It took me probably about a week to write the Introductory letter..."

• Aaron Gregorczyk [23:37]: "I'll never... The only way to really know that is if I were to talk to my birth mother."

Government Response and Future Steps

The South Korean government has moved to centralize adoption records, aiming for a more transparent system. However, adoptees remain divided on whether this will effectively address their needs or lead to further bureaucratic hurdles.

• Kelly Kasulis Cho [18:56]: "The South Korean government has decided that it's going to order these adoption agencies to start transferring their records."

• Elahay Izadi [19:10]: "There are two parties in the South Korean government... to look into the remaining cases."

Emotional and Social Implications

Reporter Kelly Kasulis Cho reflects on the profound implications of these revelations, highlighting the adoptees' fundamental right to know their origins and the emotional toll of uncovering potentially falsified pasts.

• Kelly Kasulis Cho [24:09]: "This story... has really confronted this idea that we have a right to know our true or original identity."

Conclusion

The episode of Post Reports sheds light on the complex and often traumatic experiences of South Korean adoptees like Aaron Gregorczyk. It underscores the necessity for transparency and accountability in international adoption practices and emphasizes the personal struggles adoptees face in reconciling their identities.

Notable Quotes:

• Elahay Izadi [00:02]: "Aaron Gregorczyk thought he knew his origin story."
• Aaron Gregorczyk [06:10]: "I was essentially a career criminal."
• Kelly Kasulis Cho [10:18]: "Children's names being falsified or... swapped with the name of a child that passed away."
• Aaron Gregorczyk [23:37]: "I'll never... The only way to really know that is if I were to talk to my birth mother."

Attribution: This summary is based on the transcript of the Post Reports episode "Was he given up for adoption? Or was he taken?" released on July 21, 2025, produced by The Washington Post.