Korean adoptees gather in Seoul

Over 500 people gathered for the opening ceremony of the IKAA 2010 Gathering at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul this Wednesday.

The Korean adoptees, from late teens to those in their 50s, and their loved ones from 20 different countries came to participate in the gathering.

The International Korean Adoptee Associations is holding a range of events for both Korean adoptees and the public till Sunday.

This year’s gathering has an emphasis on promoting dialogue and a greater understanding between Korean adoptees and Korean society.

The IKAA said it wanted to change the stigma of adoptees. 

“I don’t feel like we need or want to be charity cases,” said Tim Holm, president of both the IKAA and the Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington. “We want to do more meaningful activities for the adoptees other than just birth searches or living in Korea and teaching English. We really want to be able to promote business and professional exchanges not just between Korea and our countries.” 

He also pointed out that there are many educated adoptees who would be able to do much for the Korean government and Korean people. 

On the planning committee alone for this gathering, there is a long list of professionals. Holm himself is a CPA, Liselotte Hae-Jin Birkmose has a Master’s degree in art history and works for an international art investment company. From the Netherlands, Floor Eusterbrock works as a Marketing Communication Executive. Lisa Ellingson, from Minnesota, is an attorney in the area of business litigation. Tae Yang Jorgenson, from Denmark, holds a Master’s of Science in ITand works as an advisor in the administration of the Ministry of Climate and Energy.

For the first time ever, the IKAA gathering will be hosting a business seminar on Friday to further promote that theme. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency has agreed to participate and help facilitate networking between Korean adoptees and Korean businesses.

One of the events already held was the second International Symposium on Korean Adoption Studies. The symposium consisted of 12 different studies and their findings on and for the Korean adoptee community. 

Professor Kim Park Nelson, an adoptee herself, is the lead organizer and proceedings editor for this year’s symposium and also the one in 2007. Nelson is an assistant professor of American Multicultural Studies at the Minnesota State University at Moorhead.