This is a plea for Courtney, an American woman who found herself entangled in a heartrending situation. It all started when she got into a relationship with a Korean man, she said he was very kind in the beginning, even accepting her two children from a previous relationship. Unfortunately, after she fell pregnant she soon realized he was not the man he seemed. He became abusive. Even saying “F*ck you. Just get out” in a video she recorded as evidence.

The abuse was physical as well as physiological, according to Courtney he even put his hands on her while she was with child. Another video that is hard to watch shows her now ex, threatening to kill her while attempting to get into a room she’d locked herself in.

She broke off the relationship, a very difficult thing to do in a terrifying situation like this. She wanted to co-parent, not wanting her son to miss out on having a father. But she was left devastated when her son was taken to South Korea for a “visit” to his grandparents and never returned. In South Korea, one parent can take the child without the consent of the other parent, a factor that adds an extra layer to Courtney's painful predicament. Many laws are not enforced as they should be.

It’s also important to think of her young son who must miss his mother, every child needs their mother. It’s heartbreaking to think about how all children involved must feel.

You see Courtney isn't alone in this struggle. This is an issue that tears apart families and affects not just mothers, but fathers too. The laxness in child custody laws has caused countless parents to be separated from their children in situations where they had no say, not only in South Korea. This happening in many countries all over the world

With your support, we aim to raise awareness of this issue, press for changes in the South Korean child custody laws, and bring Courtney closer to reuniting with her son. While we acknowledge the significant differences between cultural norms and the complexity of international law, the right for a parent to have access to their child is a universal one that transcends cultural borders. 

Please lend your voice to this cause. Sign this petition and help Courtney - and others in her situation - get the justice they so desperately deserve.