"Bastard Child of Confucius"

At the Seoul Times, a heartfelt "Letter to the Editor" from a French-speaking Korean adoptee:

As a French-speaking "Ibyangin," Korean-born adoptee, I am a bastard child of Confucius amongst the 200.000 of others alike scattered overseas. I accuse the Neo-confucianist South-Korean society to maintain an ambiguous relationship with the adoption issue.

Korea, amongst the top industrialised country in the World! Korea, member of the G20!

Korea, member of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)!

Korea, host-country of the Winter Olympics in 2018!

Korea, worldwide top-sellers of cars, lCD screens and phones!

Admittedly, a materially and technologically very well-advanced society, but, at some points, an archaic society in its social-welfare approach.

Korea who, yet never signed the "Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption!"

Korea who, in 2012, keeps 'feeding' the International adoption 'network' with its "bastards children!"

Korea who treats childishly its adult adoptees in quest of their origins!

Korea who asks to their "bastards who never asked for" to bend their backs and accept without complaining what they are being told by the Post-Adoption Services!

* * *

'Motherland' trip-tour? Hangul Scholarship grants? F-4 visa? Double nationality? Are you expecting to buy your redemption and shame ?

Do you honestly believe that a Korean Passport or a Korean ID card would make us feel more "Korean?"

Do you honestly believe that promoting Korean domestic adoption instead of international adoption will resolve your deeply rooted systemic socio-cultural problem with abandonment of babies?

Who do you think you are luring, except yourself, Ô Korean people!You are pitying us, but we, Confucius' bastards, should pity you!

My heart cries and is full of anger, not for myself but for these thousands of my peers who have to face the daily humiliation and to live the loneliness of their identity.