Updated at 3:06 p.m., Friday, January 5, 2007
Hawai'i Korean-born adoptees heading to Seoul conference
Advertiser Staff
This summer, nine Hawai'i residents will travel to Seoul, South Korea, for the International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) Gathering. They'll be joining an estimated 700 Korean-born adoptees from around the world.The Hawai'i nine are members of the newly formed organization Korean Adoptees of Hawai'i (KAHI).
In anticipation of the trip, KAHI is holding an informational session on Jan. 15 to discuss the IKAA Gathering registration process and distribute related information to any adult Korean-born adoptees living in Hawai'i who are interested in traveling to their birth country.
The IKAA Gathering, from July 31 to Aug. 5, will offer a research symposium, conference sessions, workshops, art gallery, soccer tournament, PC online gaming, fashion show and social events for Korean-born adoptees, age 19 and
older, and their spouses and children.
The IKAA Gathering is the fourth international assembly of Korean adoptees since the first landmark gathering took place in Washington, D.C., in 1999.
The 2007 IKAA Gathering is expected to attract the largest attendance yet with more than 700 adoptees from North America, Europe, Australia and Korea.
Local adult Korean adoptees who wish to attend the Jan. 15 informational session should e-mail KoreanAdopteesHawaii@gmail.com for the
meeting location and time.
Information on costs, deadlines and the conference will be available at the meeting.
KAHI is already looking ahead beyond the 2007 gathering to 2008, when Hawai'i will potentially play host to one of the semiannual U.S. Korean adoptee mini-gatherings.
KAHI will soon launch its Web site: www.kahawaii.org.
