S. Korea Joins Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

After years of prodding by the United States and other Hague Convention member nations, South Korea has finally signed the international treaty that requires a country to expeditiously return a child abducted by a parent to the child's country of habitual residence, according to South Korea's foreign ministry in a published report issued earlier today. The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, or Hague Abduction Convention, will come into force in South Korea on March 1, next year, ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young said. Cho added that South Korea's accession to the Hague Abduction Convention "will lay a groundwork for us to swiftly cope with parental child abductions." Demonstrating a global shift in marriages, and the increase of cross-cultural marraiges everywhere, Cho stated, "In particular, it is expected to help resolve human rights issues with regard to children in multi-cultural families." International parental child abduction is a severe form of child abuse and malicious kidnapping. Recently, the United States Senate passed SR 543 condemning IPCA.