Over 600 adoptees from 18 countries visit homeland; Kim fulfills promise made at France meeting

Kim recites Yun Dong-ju poem in show of solidarity and encouragement

First lady Kim Hye-kyung delivers remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Korean Adoptee Associations Gathering in Seoul on Monday. [Yonhap]
First lady Kim Hye-kyung delivers remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Korean Adoptee Associations Gathering in Seoul on Monday. [Yonhap]

First lady Kim Hye-kyung attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) Gathering in Seoul on Monday, welcoming overseas adoptees who had traveled from around the world to visit their homeland and expressing solidarity and warm encouragement. It marked the first time a sitting president's spouse had attended an IKAA Gathering in Korea.

Cheong Wa Dae Deputy Spokesperson An Gwi-ryeong said in a written briefing that Kim attended the opening ceremony at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Monday morning, where she welcomed adoptees who had come from around the world to visit their homeland and congratulated them on the gathering.

The IKAA Gathering rotates annually among Korea, Europe and the United States, and this year's event marked the eighth time it has been held in Korea. More than 600 adoptees and their family members from 18 countries attended. Cheong Wa Dae said the visit came after an adoptee expressed hope at a community meeting with Korean residents in France in September that Kim would attend the gathering, and that Monday's appearance was arranged to honor that promise.

In her congratulatory address, Kim said Korea likely means something different to each person in the room. "For some, it may be an unfamiliar country," she said. "For others, it may be a hometown longed for over many years, or a place you have come to with countless questions in search of your roots and identity."

She added that she hoped the gathering would be an opportunity for attendees to grow a little closer to their homeland and forge meaningful new connections. "I hope that while you are in Korea, you will be filled with the beauty of the autumn scenery, the warmth of hansik and the kindness of the people around you," she said, expressing her wish that the charm and appeal of their homeland would stay with them long after the visit.

At the event, Agnes Dalberg, a Norwegian adoptee living in Sweden, recited her original poem "Music of Life," and Elizabeth Kareli, an American adoptee, performed her original songs "Sugar" and "Electric Connection." Kim then recited "A New Road" by poet Yun Dong-ju, conveying her respect for the journeys the adoptees had walked and her hope that their homeland visit would open a path toward new hope.


sunpine@heraldcorp.com