Domestic and international adoptions, which until now have been largely in the hands of private adoption agencies, will be the responsibility of the central and local governments as of July 19 under a completely new system.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Tuesday that the enforcement ordinance and enforcement regulations of the Special Act on Domestic Adoption, the Child Welfare Act and the Special Act on Intercountry Adoption, which set forth details related to the overhaul of the nation’s adoption system, will all be promulgated by Wednesday.

This completes the legal basis for a changeover that has been in the works since the laws were updated in July 2023.

The government will also provide post-adoption services, such as counseling for adoptive families, for at least one year, with the National Center for the Rights of the Child responsible for managing adoption records and disclosing adoption-related information.