"I was able to reconnect with my heritage and identity in my homeland"
Korean adoptee youths on a homeland visit attend a welcome ceremony in Sokcho on the 29th, smiling brightly.
"I was able to reconnect with my heritage and identity in my homeland"
Korean Adoptee Homeland Visit Program Concludes Successfully
Twenty Korean adoptee youths affiliated with Asia Family visited Korea, and after completing local exchange activities and volunteer work, they held a farewell gathering in Seoul on the 1st, bringing their 7-night, 8-day journey to a close.
The “Dream Tour 2025,” which began on the 26th, took participants to Seoul, Chuncheon, and Sokcho, where they engaged in cultural experiences, volunteer activities, exchanges with university students, and identity workshops. Through the program, the adoptee youths were able to explore and reaffirm their roots and identities.
Accompanied by Asia Families CEO Song Hwa-gang and advisor Kim Chan-soo, the Dream Tour visited major regions in Gangwon Province, including Chuncheon on the 28th (Mayor Yuk Dong-han) and Sokcho on the 29th (Mayor Lee Byeong-seon), experiencing local culture.
On the 30th, they visited Korea University as well as the Yangnyeong Market and the Oriental Medicine Museum in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. On the 31st, the group added further meaning to their trip by participating in a volunteering activity, Yeontan (coal briquet) delivery to support vulnerable communities. After these activities, they took part in an identity workshop titled: “Adoptees: living in Two Worlds.” On New Year’s Day, they ate tteokguk to celebrate the New Year, enjoyed free time, and in the evening held a farewell reception in Gangnam, Seoul.
Advisor Kim Chan-soo said, “This visit brought deep emotion and joy to everyone involved. Through visits to major cultural locations and experiences of traditional Korean culture, Korean adoptee participants were able to experience the excellence of Korean culture and enjoy a time of healing through the warm welcome from their motherland.”
The “Dream Tour” was organized to help adoptees reflect on their relationship with their country of origin based on their life experiences since adoption and to expand opportunities for exchange.
Asia Families, founded in 2009, is a nonprofit organization that operates programs such as the “Korean Culture School,” the “Rice Camp,” and homeland visit programs like the “Korea Bridge Tour” for Korean adoptees and their adoptive parents.