Mother Reunited with Daughter After 44 Years Apart

A South Korean mother, Han Tae-sung, has finally reunited with her daughter, Kyoung-ha, after being separated for 44 years. This emotional reunion stemmed from a distressing incident in May 1975 when Han lost her daughter, then just six years old, while shopping in Seoul. Kyoung-ha was taken by a woman and subsequently placed in an orphanage in the United States.

For decades, Han searched tirelessly for her daughter, grappling with despair as the years passed. Just when it seemed all hope was lost, a crucial breakthrough occurred in 2019. A DNA matching initiative by the group 325 Kamra, which connects adoptive parents of Korean children with their biological families, matched Han with a woman in California.

This woman, a nurse named Laurie Bender, confirmed her identity after a series of phone calls. She then traveled to Seoul, where the two shared an emotional reunion filled with tears. Han expressed her deep intuition, saying, “I’ve been a hairdresser for 30 years. I can tell if it’s just a girl or not by feeling her.” This highlights how much the moment meant to her, as she had recalled previous instances of feeling like she had found her daughter before.

As they spoke, both women pieced together the story of their painful separation. Kyoung-ha recounted how she had approached the woman who took her away, only to be told her mother no longer needed her. After being placed on a train, she was subsequently rescued by a police officer and sent to an orphanage. Eventually, she was adopted by a couple in Virginia.

Currently, Han is taking legal action against the South Korean government, accusing them of failing to protect her daughter from being forcibly adopted. This lawsuit marks the first of its kind, aiming to challenge South Korea’s legacy of international adoption practices.

Reflecting on her long search, Han lamented, “I spent 44 years searching for my body and mind [my daughter]. But has anyone ever apologized to me all the time? No one. I’ve never had one.” Earlier this year, a survey found that the South Korean government faced criticism for enabling human rights abuses related to the “export” of children for adoption.