Paju Welcomes 350 Overseas Adoptees... Longing and Comfort Shared at Eommappum Dongsan

Paju City Hosts a Warm Welcome at Eommapum Dongsan
Longing and Hopes Written on Pinwheels
Adoptees from Around the World Share a Special Reunion in Their Homeland
‘Tree of Promise’ Planted in Memory of Adoptees Who Have Passed Away

Kim Soyeon, 46, who was adopted by a family in the United States in 1981, visited her birth country for the first time and retraced the traces of Saessak Children's Home in Munsan-eup, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, where she had stayed as a child. She met Jang Haedong, 70, at a local senior center. Jang had lived near the children's home and now resides on part of its former site, which he purchased. Kim wiped away tears as she thanked the people who had welcomed her warmly.

More than 350 overseas adoptees raise pinwheels bearing messages of longing and hope at a welcome and exchange event held on the 23rd at Eommappum Dongsan in Paju. Photo provided by Paju City.

Paju City said on October 29 that it had held a welcome and exchange event on October 23 at Eommappum Dongsan, attended by more than 350 overseas adoptees from around the world. The event was organized to give overseas adoptees an opportunity to share their lives and experiences and maintain their ties to their birth country.

The event began with welcoming remarks by Paju Mayor Son Baechan, followed by congratulatory speeches from National Assembly member Yoon Hudeok and Choi Yugak, chair of the Paju City Council. The program continued with a special performance featuring the stories of families whose children were adopted overseas and Korean lullabies, followed by adoptees sharing their thoughts on the visit.

Attendees wrote messages to their families, memories of longing for their childhood, and hopes for the future on pinwheels, then raised them together. They also viewed the "Wall of Memories" and the "Flowers Blooming from Loss" mural at Eommappum Dongsan.

A tree-planting ceremony was also held to honor adoptees who died abroad. The ash tree, donated by Mi & Korea, the event's organizer, was named the "Tree of Promise." Attendees pledged to remember the lives of adoptees who had passed away and continue to comfort one another.

They also visited the newly established "Space for Overseas Korean Adoptees" in the former U.S. military canteen building at Peace Museum S827. It includes "Voices of Adoptees," featuring photographs and messages from more than 1,000 overseas adoptees, and "Ojakgyo," where adoptees and birth families can leave letters, photographs, and other items for one another.

The newly created "Space for Overseas Korean Adoptees" at Peace Museum S827 in Paju. Courtesy of Paju City.

Kim Minyoung, CEO of Mi & Korea, said, "Eommappum Dongsan is a precious place for all overseas adoptees, so let's cherish and protect it together, with the sense that we are its caretakers."

The visit also included journeys to trace family histories. Patricia, an overseas adoptee, visited the supply unit where her adoptive father had served and a nearby railway line, recalling memories that connected her to her family. After the welcome event, some attendees explored Paju's historical and cultural sites, including taking a ride on the Imjingak Peace Gondola.

Paju City plans to expand opportunities for overseas adoptees to visit and connect with one another, and to develop Eommappum Dongsan and Peace Museum into places where adoptees can share their stories and comfort one another.

Paju Mayor Son Baechan said, "It is deeply meaningful to welcome overseas adoptees who have come to their homeland from around the world here in Paju." He added, "I hope the warm comfort and precious encounters you shared at Eommappum Dongsan will remain beautiful memories in your hearts for a long time."

Paju Mayor Son Baechan (right) and overseas adoptees plant an ash tree named the “Tree of Promise” at Eommapum Dongsan in Paju on the 23rd to honor adoptees who died abroad. Provided by Paju City.

He continued, "I hope Paju will be a warm hometown that you can return to whenever you wish and find comfort, as you carry the longing and pain of your childhood." He added, "We will continue to nurture our precious ties with overseas adoptees and work to make Eommappum Dongsan a place where memory, healing, and hope coexist."

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