For the first time in Korean history, domestic adoptions have surpassed international adoptions.
Nearly 60 percent of all adoptions during the first half of this year were domestic, meaning that the children were placed in homes within Korea. The breakdown is 729 out of 1,223 Korean babies, to be exact. (That's far higher than the average 41 to 42 percent the country's seen in the last five years.)
Experts say the increase is largely attributed to a new law that encourages domestic adoptions over international. Korean society has been exposed to more adoption campaigns (the government has been making efforts to shake off the country's reputation as a "baby exporting' nation.) Korean couples living there are also getting tax incentives to adopt.
Overall, the Overseas Korean Foundation estimates nearly 157,145 children have been placed internationally during the last 50 years. Citizens of the U.S., France, Sweden, and Denmark have adopted the most Korean children.
