Photos Taken By A Dutch KSS Adoptee At KSS In Seoul In 1990.
The KSS Adoptee was part of a YWCA tour for all Korean Adoptees living in Europe.
Thank you to a Dutch KSS Adoptee for sharing the photos below with us.
The Dutch KSS Adoptee writes, “We stayed for 2 weeks at a rather luxurious hotel (Royal Hotel Seoul, it still exists) and afterwards we stayed with a host family for 1 week.”
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UPDATE — September 23rd, 2026:
The Dutch KSS Adoptee who shared the photos below has kindly written about her experiences visting KSS in 1990 with the YWCA trip for European Korean Adoptees:
“It was a unique opportunity to return to the country where I was born, for the very first time. The Korean government (and possibly the YWCA) covered our accommodation, while the plane ticket and pocket money were at our own expense.
It was exciting and a lot of fun, because we were all teenagers traveling without parents. Some of us already knew each other because they were siblings or cousins, but most of the group had never met before. That changed quickly.
For two weeks we stayed in a hotel, and during the third week we lived with a Korean host family. Our program consisted of cultural excursions and lessons in language, Korean customs, and culture.
Several times, after a long day, we discovered that the biological family of one of our group members was waiting in the hotel lobby. Without any warning — they were simply there. Some people in our group were actively searching for their Korean family, but these sudden encounters were bold and unexpected. They were not prepared for such an emotional moment. This made our bond incredibly strong in a short time. We went through so much together, so many emotions, that after only a few days it felt as if we had known each other for years. Despite our young age, we were able to support one another remarkably well.
We also visited KSS. The organization running the summer school had already sent our names to KSS. At KSS, we had the opportunity to ask Mr. (Young Hee) KIM about our Korean families. Everyone was called into his office one by one, where he told us what he knew and showed us our file. In my case, he showed me exactly what was already in my adoption file — no surprises or new information. Others did learn new things, such as their real date of birth or additional details about their family.
In 1990, KSS was still a children’s home, so we met the children living there. I don’t remember how many children were at KSS, but I do remember that the babies and toddlers were very cute.
I really enjoyed the summer school. We had so much fun together. After all, we were on holiday, experiencing “grown‑up” life for a few weeks, and we genuinely liked each other. It was comforting to be surrounded by people who understood something about you without needing an explanation. Our adoption stories were very different, but we were all adoptees. We were all Koreans living in Europe. We all knew what it felt like to be “different” at home. And now we experienced being “different” in Korea as well, because we didn’t quite fit in. We were too loud, our behaviour wasn’t very Korean, our clothing wasn’t Korean, we didn’t speak Korean, and so on.
So yes — I look back on a truly wonderful summer, and it helped me grow as a person.”
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The images below may not be shared without our written permission. Please feel free to share the direct link to this page on Paperslip.
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First posted to Paperslip on September 21st, 2026.
Above: Group of European Adoptees visiting Korea Social Service (KSS) in 1990 (Summer School YWCA). The building behind them is the KSS Receiving Home, which was part of KSS’ Main Campus in Seoul. At lower left in white shirt is former KSS Director Mr. Young Hee KIM, who probably began working at KSS in 1964 when KSS was first founded. The KSS Receiving Home behind this group was probably built sometime in the early to mid 1970s.
Above: The KSS Receiving Home in 1990.
Above: Reception for visiting Adoptees.
Above: Reception for visiting Adoptees. Mr. Young Hee KIM (center) worked at KSS beginning around 1964 and was Director of KSS by the mid 1980s. He is now deceased.
Above: Children at KSS in 1990.
Above: Baby at KSS in 1990.
Above: Child at KSS in 1990.
Above: Baby at KSS in 1990.
Below are photos from the 1990 YWCA “Summer School for the Korean Youth Adopted Abroad” program.
Thank you to the same Dutch KSS Adoptee for sharing the photos below with us.
We have redacted the names of European Korean Adoptee participants and their addresses.
These images may not be shared without our written permission. Please feel free to share the direct link to this page on Paperslip.
Below are photos from the 1990 YWCA “Summer School for the Korean Youth Adopted Abroad” program.
Thank you to the same Dutch KSS Adoptee for sharing the photos below with us.
We have redacted the names of European Korean Adoptee participants and their addresses.
These images may not be shared without our written permission. Please feel free to share the direct link to this page on Paperslip.
