How to Make a TRC3 Timeline

USKRG
Feb 18
3 min read

Please consider making a TRC3 timeline as a factual, chronological account of your life events related to adoption, with emphasis on where there may have been errors, inconsistencies, coercion, falsified records, loss of identity, or rights violations.

For Korean Adoptees Truth and Reconciliation (TRC3) submissions, a Personal Adoptee Timeline is typically a clear, chronological record of your life events related to adoption — especially points where there may have been errors, inconsistencies, coercion, falsified records, loss of identity, or rights violations. It is important that the timeline is not literary or emotional (though you can include impact statements). It should be structured, factual, and evidence-based where possible.

Below is a guide of how to structure your timeline.

Purpose of the Timeline

The timeline helps TRC investigators:

Identify inconsistencies in adoption records
Detect patterns of fraud, coercion, or falsification
Understand how your identity and rights were affected
Cross-reference your case with agency, orphanage, hospital, or government records
Place your case within broader systemic practices

Recommended Structure

Organize it chronologically using dates (exact or approximate), using this format:

Date (or approx.) – Event – Source of Information – Notes/Concerns

Please be sure to leave any emotion-based statements out of the notes and only focus on facts.

Sample Structure

1. Pre-Birth / Birth Information

Mother’s pregnancy circumstances (if known)
Social conditions (unwed mother? poverty? pressure?)
Any discrepancies in recorded birth date, place, or parent names

Example:

March 1983 – Birth recorded at ___ Hospital in Seoul.Source: Korean family registry / adoption file.Concern: Hospital name does not appear in city registry records.

2. Relinquishment / Orphanage Intake

Date of intake into orphanage or agency
Who relinquished you?
Was there documented consent?
Any gaps between birth and intake?

Example:

April 2, 1983 – Admitted to ___ Orphanage.Source: Agency file.Concern: No documentation of mother’s consent attached.

3. Adoption Processing

Agency handling case
Changes to name
Changes to birth date
Creation of new identity documents
Foster care period (if any)
Court dates (Korean & adoptive country)

Note discrepancies clearly.

Example:

May 1983 – Birth date changed from March 12 to March 3.Source: Comparison of Korean file vs. U.S. naturalization papers.Concern: No explanation provided.

4. Immigration & Naturalization

Visa type
Citizenship status
Date of naturalization (or lack of)
Any missing paperwork

This is important because many adoptees were not properly naturalized.

Example: August 12, 1983 – Certificate of Naturalization issued

5. Discovery of Inconsistencies

When did you first request records?
When did you discover discrepancies?
What was missing?
Any conflicting versions of your story?

Example:

2019 – Requested full adoption file from agency.Received redacted file.Found two different versions of birth story.

6. Search & Reunion Efforts

DNA testing
Contact with Korean police or agencies
Contact with biological family (if any)
Denials of access to records
Emotional or bureaucratic barriers

7. Harm & Impact Statement (Optional but Strongly Recommended)

Briefly explain:

Psychological impact
Identity confusion
Medical history loss
Citizenship insecurity
Family separation trauma
Cultural erasure

Keep this concise and factual — TRC focuses on systemic violations.

What TRC is Looking For

Highlight clearly:

Fabricated orphan status
False abandonment reports
Lack of maternal consent
Forged signatures
Altered birth dates
Identity changes without legal basis
Missing or sealed records
Financial transactions tied to adoption
Government negligence

If you suspect fraud but cannot prove it, state:

“This raises concern because…” or "There is strong reason to suspect..."

Formatting Tips

Use bullet points or short paragraphs
Attach copies of documents if available
Clearly label contradictions
Avoid long narrative storytelling — clarity over emotion
Number pages
Include your full legal name and adoptee case number (if applicable)

Length

Most timelines are:

2–10 pages depending on complexity
With attachments separate

Optional Additions

Some adoptees include:

Side-by-side document comparison chart
Table of discrepancies
DNA match summary
Genealogy findings
Chronology of agency responses

Simple Timeline You Can Use

You can copy this structure:

Personal Adoptee Timeline – Submission to TRC3 Name: Korean Name (if known): Date of Birth (as recorded): Case/Agency #:

Birth & Early Records