女兒被帶走送往國外——44年後，她們重逢

Han Tae-soon, a mother from South Korea, has spent decades searching for her daughter, Kyung-ha, who was taken from her when she was just a child. The last time Han saw Kyung-ha was in May 1975, at their home in Seoul. Han recalls asking her daughter if she wanted to accompany her to the market, but Kyung-ha chose to play with her friends instead. When Han returned home, she discovered that her daughter was missing. For over 44 years, Han searched tirelessly for Kyung-ha, and when they finally reunited, Kyung-ha had transformed into a middle-aged woman living in America, now known as Laurie Bender. Han believes that her daughter was kidnapped near their home, taken to an orphanage, and then illegally sent to the United States to be raised by another family. In response to this, Han is suing the South Korean government for failing to prevent her daughter's adoption. She is one of many individuals who have come forward in recent years with serious allegations of fraud, illegal adoptions, kidnapping, and human trafficking within South Korea's controversial overseas adoption program. This program has sent more children abroad for adoption than any other country, with estimates suggesting that between 170,000 and 200,000 children have been adopted overseas since its inception in the 1950s. A report released in March revealed that successive South Korean governments had committed human rights violations by neglecting to oversee the adoption process, allowing private agencies to 'mass export' children for profit. Experts believe that these findings could pave the way for more lawsuits against the government. Han's case is scheduled to go to court next month and is one of two significant cases currently in the legal system. Han is the first biological parent of an overseas adoptee to seek damages from the government, while another case involves a man who was adopted in the United States. A spokesperson for the South Korean government expressed deep sympathy for the emotional pain experienced by families who have been separated for long periods. They stated that they would consider Han's case with 'deep regret' and would take 'necessary actions' based on the trial's outcome. Han, now 71 years old, is determined to hold the government accountable for her daughter's abduction. She stated, 'I spent 44 years ruining my body and mind searching for my daughter. But in all that time, has anyone ever apologized to me? No one. Not once. ' For decades, Han and her husband visited police stations and orphanages, distributed flyers, and appeared on television, pleading for information about Kyung-ha. Han described her relentless search, saying she spent all day looking for her daughter, 'till all 10 of my toenails fell out. ' Over the years, she believed she had come close to finding her daughter. In 1990, after one of her television appeals, Han met a woman she thought might be Kyung-ha and even welcomed her into her home for a while. However, the woman eventually confessed that she was not Han's daughter. A breakthrough finally occurred in 2019 when Han joined a group that connects overseas Korean adoptees with their birth parents through DNA matching. They soon reported a match with Laurie Bender, a nurse living in California. After several phone calls, Laurie flew to Seoul to meet Han, and the two had a tearful reunion at the airport. During their emotional meeting, Han ran her fingers through Laurie's hair, saying, 'I've been a hairdresser for 30 years. I can quickly tell if it's my daughter just by feeling her hair. ' The first words Han spoke to her daughter were, 'I'm so sorry. ' She felt guilty for not being able to bring Laurie home when she was a child. Han reflected on how much Laurie must have longed for her mother, and it broke her heart. Laurie expressed her feelings about their reunion, stating, 'It's like a hole in your heart has been healed, you finally feel like a complete person. ' The two women began to piece together the events of that fateful day in May 1975. Laurie, who was just six years old at the time, was playing near her home when a strange woman approached her, claiming to know her mother. The woman told Laurie that her mother 'didn't need' her anymore and took her to a train station. After a train ride with the woman, Laurie was abandoned at the final stop, where police officers found her and placed her in an orphanage. Soon after, she was flown to the United States to be adopted by a couple in Virginia. Years later, it was discovered that she had been given false documents stating that she was an abandoned orphan with unknown parents. Laurie described her feelings, saying, 'It's like you've been living a fake life and everything you know is not true.