Chapter Text
Adoption in South Korea was taboo. That wasn’t to say it didn’t happen. Between 1958 and 2007, over 100,000 Korean children were adopted overseas, let alone domestically. South Koreans simply prided themselves on bloodlines and clan affiliation, which adoption doesn’t always allow.
He remembered the exact moment he discovered that an adoption had taken place in his family. His grandmother in Daegu was dying and his parents were in poor health themselves. His older brother was working as a chef at a restaurant and he was forced to fly back from Malta to aid and support his family. Between the stress, and faced with their own mortality, the Mins sat down their two sons and divulged the secret they had been hiding for 25 years.
“YoonGi,” his mother sighed. “You were just born, not yet three months old and JunKi was four when I discovered that I was pregnant again. There were so many reasons why we were unable to take care of another child…”
“We chose keep our heads afloat with two children instead of drowning with three,” his father finished for her. “We were afraid of losing all three of you to poverty if we kept her.”
“Her?” JunKi looked between them.
“Her,” they answered their son.
“The plan was for a family member to adopt her so that we could keep in touch…” her lip trembled. “The Family Chief apparently did not receive our request.”
“She was born a month early on December 30th, 1993 and certified into the Min Clan in March of 1994. She was adopted a month later.”
“We have been searching for her for so long…”
“The fact is… if she doesn’t want to be found, we will never know her.”
YoonGi sat back and rubbed his bottom lip as he processed the information his parents had just unloaded on them.
“I was four years older, how did I not know?” JunKi shook his head.
“You were still young,” his mother squeezed his hand. “This is not your fault.”
“Okay, let’s… walk through this,” YoonGi waved his hands. “After grandma’s funeral, you no longer have to travel back and forth so much. We can focus on this.”
They agreed silently.
“I…” he rubbed his face. “I have so much going on right now, but we’ll figure this out. It won’t happen overnight. If she’s… half-way across the world…”
“This has been the biggest burden I’ve borne my entire life. I only wanted her to have a better life than we could offer.”
He reached across and took his mother’s hand. “One day at a time, Eomma. I will do everything I can to help find her.”
.
JunKi and YoonGi sat quietly later that night, savoring their favorite whisky in the dark as they let reality sink in.
“We have a sister,” he sighed.
“What do you think she looks like?”
“I’m starting a square one,” YoonGi smirked. “I’d like proof of life before I start getting attached to someone who probably doesn’t even want to meet us.”
“We don’t know that.”
“We don’t know anything. There are adoption registries and online associations… I wouldn’t think it would be difficult to find her if she wanted to be found.”
Little did they know that at that very moment, from somewhere in Scotland, an account was created by KoreanThistle93 into the South Korean Adoption Reunion Registry.
Who are you trying to find? > My birth parent(s)
Indicate the gender of the adopted person. > Female
Indicate the birth year of the adopted person. > 1993
Indicate the birth month of the adopted person. > December
Indicate the birth date of the adopted person. > 30th (+/- 2 days)
In which country did the adoption take place? > South Korea
When did the adoption take place? > Within a year of birth.
Since the time of adoption, have you been in contact? > No.