Tag: family reunion

Sang Chul Kim was born on September 4th, 1932 in Changyon, Hwanghae Province. The eldest son of his family, his memories of life in Korea revolve around his parents and his younger siblings; in particular, he recalls how it was his younger brother who took care of him, the older one, more. He holds a deep reverence for his parents, who he describes as parents anyone would be proud to have, and reminisces about his mother took care of him during his schoolboy days, before the war—he was unable to say farewell to his family when the war began, as he had to rush to the dock to board a fleeing boat. In 2000, he was given the opportunity to travel to North Korea by the Overseas Korean Committee where he was briefly reunited with his siblings; together, they spent a day in Sinuiju, North Korea, before traveling to Pyeongyang the next day. It has been over 20 years since he last saw his siblings in Korea, and he wishes for little more than to see his homeland reunified, and his own family reunited, so that his parents might rest in peace.

This interview was filmed on July 25th, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA.

Ki Shin Lee, born July 5, 1934, in Haeju, Hwanghae-do, lived a life marked by the Korean War’s division. Fleeing during the 1951 January-Fourth Retreat, he left behind his parents and siblings, believing he’d never see them again. Risking return, he was captured by the Chinese army, last hearing from his father to escape southward. Decades later, in 1992, Lee discovered his parents were alive through a classmate who visited North Korea, overturning years of mourning. Emigrating to the US, he sought reunion, and in 1997, he met his sister and brother but couldn’t visit his hometown or his parents’ graves. Their thin, aged appearances at the reunion brought him to tears, highlighting North Korea’s harsh realities. This encounter in 1997 would be the last time Lee saw his family, maintaining a fragile connection through one or two letters a year, with each letter taking six months to reach him. Despite the pain and separation, Lee’s story is a plea for understanding and empathy towards the people of North Korea. His life, marked by loss, separation, and eventual partial reunion, underscores the human cost of geopolitical conflict and the deep-seated desire for family and homeland connection amidst adversity. Lee’s narrative is a powerful reminder of the personal stories behind historical events, urging a compassionate view of those on both sides of the Korean divide.

This interview was filmed on July 25th, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA.

Barbara Uni Lee Potter was born in the San Francisco area in 1943. She did not know she was adopted until she was 13 years old, and soon after had to navigate a complex history of family and lineage — a secret her family and community had kept from her. Barbara carried this tangled unknown with her until she was 45 years old when she decided to search for her birth mother. Barbara’s story teaches us the similarities and distinct differences of being adopted into a same-race family.

Born in Busan, but raised an adoptee in Iowa, Zach Benson grew up looking and speaking differently from his mainly white peers. Zach struggled with fitting in and participating in class until he discovered a passion for breakdancing in high school. When Zach was 23, he came to Korea to learn more about his heritage and search for his birth mother, with whom he was finally able to reconnect. Zach later moved to Daejeon, where he worked as an RA at a Korean international school, to spend more time with his birth mother.

Christine was raised as an American in a white family— far from where she was originally found, a train station in Daegu, Korea. Despite feeling fortunate for her loving adoptive family, she still felt and looked different, influenced by classmates that bullied her.

Years later, in 2018, Christine saw an online post about a welcome home program. Inspired by the documentary Lion, in which a man found his family on Google, she discovered the Korean American Adoptee Facebook group and was able to travel to Korea for the first time. The feeling of being home removed an unknown tension she had felt in the US.

The following year, she received confirmation from a DNA test that she has a sister living in Belgium. Reunited through the internet, they immediately felt a connection. They met for the first time in Korea, in an emotional reunion that prompted monthly trips to Belgium before COVID. Having reunited with her homeland and family, Christine has found satisfaction and peace in her Korean American identity.