Adoption
Overview
Adoption (채택) refers to the act of accepting or selecting a proposed agenda item, bill, resolution, technology, standard, etc. through official procedures. In a narrow sense, it denotes the procedure by which a national assembly or international organization approves and confirms an agenda item through a vote; in a broad sense, it encompasses the entirety of decision-making in which an individual or organization chooses and accepts one among several alternatives. Unlike a simple choice, adoption is often accompanied by established rules and procedures to secure legitimacy and binding force.
Key content
Concept and etymology
Adoption is composed of the Sino-Korean characters 採 (chae, 'to pick') and 擇 (taek, 'to select'), carrying the meaning 'to select by discrimination.' The point that distinguishes it from a mere choice or expression of preference is that adoption takes effect through an official approval or consent procedure. Accordingly, adoption is closely connected to procedural legitimacy, quorum, voting method, and stakeholder consent. Depending on the academic field, adoption is sometimes used interchangeably with terms such as 'acceptance,' 'approval,' and 'introduction.'
Adoption as a decision-making procedure
In organizations or deliberative bodies, adoption generally goes through the following steps.
1. Initiation/proposal: Members or a committee submit an agenda item.
2. Deliberation/debate: The validity and ramifications of the content are reviewed.
3. Voting: Votes for and against are counted, and quorum is confirmed.
4. Proclamation/public announcement: The adopted content is officially announced and takes effect.
In this process, various methods such as unanimity, majority rule, and consensus are used, and the legitimacy of adoption depends greatly on the transparency of the procedure and the scope of participation.
Adoption in the National Assembly and legislatures
In the National Assembly, adoption refers to the act of finalizing a bill, resolution, proposal, consent motion, etc. by a plenary vote. In particular, the adoption of resolutions is used as a means for the legislature to officially express its will to the government or the international community, and even if it lacks legal binding force, its political message is strong. When an agenda item that has undergone review by a standing committee is passed at the plenary session, it is expressed as having been 'adopted.'
Adoption in international organizations
In the United Nations General Assembly, Security Council, Human Rights Council, etc., the adoption of resolutions is a key procedure for expressing the joint position of the international community. Whether adoption occurs is determined by each body's rules, such as the veto of permanent members (Security Council) or voting quorum, and adopted resolutions have international legal and political ramifications. In the case of treaties or conventions, each country may adopt them into domestic law through ratification procedures.
Adoption of technology and standards
In standardization organizations such as ISO, IEC, and ITU, the adoption of standards becomes the basis for securing technical interoperability and market trust. When a company or country adopts a particular standard, product design, certification, and procurement criteria change in a chain. Recently, the adoption of standards related to new technologies, such as AI ethics guidelines and data security standards, has been active.
Technology adoption in the market
In economics and management, adoption refers to the process by which new technologies and new products spread in the market. Everett Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory classifies adopters into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) explains that usefulness and ease of use influence adoption intention.
Recent trends
In 2024–2025, AI regulation and ethics guidelines are being adopted one after another by parliaments and international organizations. Representative examples include the implementation of the European Union's AI Act, the adoption of AI-related resolutions by the UN General Assembly, and the adoption of AI safety standards by national standards bodies. In the climate field, resolutions and agreements related to carbon neutrality continue to be adopted, and international competition over the adoption of digital asset and personal data protection norms is intensifying. At the parliamentary level, there is a trend toward institutionalizing 'adoption-implementation monitoring' to track the follow-up implementation of agenda items adopted through citizen initiatives and e-petitions.
Related topics
- [[Resolution]]
- [[Voting]]
- [[National Assembly]]
- [[Standardization]]
- [[Child adoption]]
- [[Diffusion of innovations]]