First Lady Kim Hyekyung Meets Overseas Korean Adoptees: "May This Be a Time to Grow Closer to Your Homeland"

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung met with Korean adoptees from overseas on October 19 and said, "Whatever feelings brought you here, I hope this will be a time to grow a little closer to your motherland and forge new, precious connections."

Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in a written briefing that First Lady Kim made the remarks while attending the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) Korean Gathering at COEX in Seoul that day.

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung poses for a commemorative photo at the opening ceremony of the International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) Korean Gathering, held at COEX in Seoul on October 19. To her right is IKAA President Tommy Gencel. October 19, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

IKAA is the world's largest nonprofit alliance connecting organizations of Korean adoptees in countries around the world, including the United States and Europe. Each year, it holds a "Gathering" where Korean adoptees from around the world and their families come together. The eighth gathering, held this year, is expected to draw about 600 adoptees and family members from 18 countries.

Kim is the first spouse of a South Korean president to attend an IKAA Korean Gathering. During a meeting with Korean residents in France last September, one adoptee asked Kim to attend the IKAA Korean Gathering. Kim attended in person to honor that promise.

"I imagine that each of you may see the country of South Korea differently," Kim said. "For some, it may be an unfamiliar country; for others, it may be a homeland they have long yearned for, or a place they have come to with many questions as they seek their roots and identity."

Kim also said, "I hope you enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery, Korean food and the warm kindness of your neighbors during your stay in Korea. I hope the charm and beauty of your motherland will remain in your memories for a long time."

At the event, Agnes Dahlberg, a Korean adoptee from Norway who lives in Sweden, recited her original poem, "Music of Life," while Elizabeth Carelli, a Korean adoptee in the United States, performed a song she had written. Kim responded by reciting poet Yun Dong-ju's "A New Path."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.