Panel presentation :

This study aims to clarify that in South Korea, it is the state that has functioned as a key agent to develop the transnational adoption phenomenon. The structure of the transnational adoption and its change show that the government has played a key role of as the agent actively producing social minorities.

Transnational adoption has developed into a specialized social services field since World War II. As a defeated country Japan has joined the group of sending country, but it has gradually been reduced its adoption number. Currently, only about 30 children are being adopted abroad every year. However, South Korea gradually made it grew the number of child sent abroad after the Korean War. In the mid 1980s, it peaked the number as many as about 8,800 children were sent abroad. The reason for this adoption phenomenon has clear social and cultural reasons. Both Korea and Japan maintain a strong Patriarchal society it causes to control on the women's sexuality. About 90% of Korean babies waiting for adoption are children of unmarried mothers. By contrast, in Japan, there are only roughly 30 babies waiting for transnational adoption, although many orphans are caused by domestic disasters. Why Japan keeps only few, but constantly, sending children abroad while Korea made it grow. This paper examines what different discourses on adoption and their institutions are present in Japan and Korea, and compare the two countries adoption agencies and government roles which influence on the national adoption affection.