I was adopted from Korea in the 1980s, during the peak of international adoptions from the country. I grew up in a small town in Sweden and have since traveled to Korea several times, even living there for a period. More recently, I’ve returned with my partner and children.

My relationship with Korea has always been complicated. As a young adult, I convinced myself I had “processed” my adoption and moved on. But as Korean culture became more visible in the West and I became a parent, my adoption trauma and connection to Korea resurfaced, forcing me to confront the loss of my first family, my identity, and the lasting impact of adoption.

Over the years, I have at times participated in adoption circles, connecting with other adoptees who share similar experiences. I have also witnessed firsthand the gaslighting and shaming that happens in adoption discourse, particularly in Sweden. Adoptionscentrum, Sweden’s biggest adoption agency, along with adoption circles dominated by adoptive parents and adoptees with a purely positive view of adoption, have long worked to suppress critical perspectives. Many adoptees I know have faced dismissal and shaming when raising concerns about the unethical, illicit, and systemic abuses within the Korean adoption industry.

Now, as Sweden’s adoption commission investigates the country’s role in transnational adoption, the adoption lobby is mobilizing to defend past practices and control the narrative. Adoptionscentrum, in particular, has become more active in pushing its version of events.

Because of this, I feel it is more important than ever to use my voice—to share my experiences, challenge dominant narratives, and reflect on what adoption has meant for me and so many others.

I am now based in Stockholm, working in tech trying to balance full-time work and family life. This blog is a space for my thoughts, reflections, and resources on adoption. Posts will come as time permits.