[Opinion] Biological Mother

Forced to give up her own daughter, a poor mother left a black-inked mark on the index finger of her right hand. Left at the doorsteps of an orphanage, the little child was later arranged for an adoption and sent to the Netherlands. As she grew older she came to believe that the mark on her finger would lead her to her family back in Korea. Indeed, Won Mi-sook, or Wanda Miedma, found her biological mother. The mother cried her heart when she finally met with the daughter she left 28 years ago at the set of KBS program “Morning Yard.” The 31-year-old woman, unable to speak Korean, was only shedding tears.

▷When they grow up, many of adopted children sent abroad return to their homeland, a country known as the Number one exporter of orphans, to find their biological parents. Some of them have still feelings of resentment towards their Korean parents, according to those involved in the KBS morning program. When Korean parents finally find whereabouts of their children after years of effort, they refuse to meet them saying they cannot forgive them for deserting their own babies. Then, when they get married and have babies themselves, they come to terms with their past and their parents.

▷In the U.S. where people put less emphasis on blood, many adopted children take for granted that their foster parents are the ones they can call their father and mother. When they get old, they begin to wonder about their biological parents most for practical reasons such as medical history. According to genetics, unlike intelligence or personality affected by the environment, some physical predispositions remain governed by hereditary elements. Diseases such as cancer and alcohol addition are in part inherited, studies indicate. So are hypertension, diabetes, obesity and baldness.

▷Lawmaker Jung Mong-joon, who announced his bid for presidency yesterday in a press interview, had to choke back tears when asked if he knew who his biological mother was, and did not go further to answer the question. A smear campaign aimed at his family background, if any, is more likely to backfire. We are not living in Chosun Dynasty where out-of-wedlock children were subject to severe discrimination. Yet, Jung should have known that the issue came out when he decided to run for presidency. Then it would be better for him to hide nothing about the past, which he could do nothing about it, and ask people to be open-minded. He is, after all, a son of the country’s legendary businessman.

Hwang Ho-taek, Editorial Writer hthwang@donga.com