An Adoptee's Journey: Finding His Way Home
원본 (Korean)
Translation + Context
FT = ForbiddenTome — tap to see Korean slang explained
Documentary director Jeon Sung-joon says, "There are so many American adoption documents, they're so boring." Documentary? "The documentary is boring?" Documentary - I've already seen all those documents. We have copies of all the documents at my American house.
Do you know how to speak Korean?
No, why? I'm American. Americans speak English. I love my country, America. I'm living a really good life there.
You could say he's a success story of adoption >> Jeon Sung-joon, who showed a cold reaction throughout confirming his adoption information, is going to meet his mom who arrived an hour early.
My older brother... he looks so much like me. Can I ask him to wake up?
I've wanted to do this my whole life. Jeon Sung-joon's mother - we were in such difficult circumstances that my mother-in-law and his grandmother urged me to send this child away. Documentary - I sent him away, but back then I was taking care of my sick husband and I went completely crazy...
What's so good about this mother... see the mom who sent you away. See? >> Yes. He initially refused even to be interviewed, but how many emotions must he have suppressed before revealing his true feelings like now?
Sung-joon, Sung-joon
He emphasizes his Korean name Sung-joon, not an American name suggestion.
Jeon Sung-joon - American adoptee - my mother called this morning and woke me up. My mother said this: "I love you Sung-joon, I love you Sung-hun."
My mother is only 54 years old. Mother will probably live to be 100, so we have about 50 more years to spend together. It feels like I've become a king. I'm a king. Sung-joon is a king.
Finding out his mom didn't abandon him because she hated him
and every wall around his heart just crumbles down ㅠㅠ
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16 comments
How can this be so moving every time I watch it
I've been holding back tears for the past 10 minutes ㅠ
As someone who was also adopted, this resonates so deeply. Thank you for sharing your truth.
When you live abroad you think you'll just forget the past and live as someone from that country, but eventually you end up finding your roots, you know?
Off-topic but I heard Black Americans don't know their roots so they have no identity, that's why a lot of them fall into crime and drugs
Even though Americans might all look the same, they still operate based on bloodline and stuff lol
That's why people went so crazy when Wakanda came out lol
Sister Act 2 has a kid like that insisting their roots are in Africa lol
Right, Western society demonizes nationalism after going through WW1 and WW2, especially in an immigrant country like America—if you show your ethnicity people assume you'll follow your original country, lack patriotism, and don't belong to America. But when you dig into it, America's core—Jewish people—have always been insanely ethnic, and then Italians, Germans, English (and Scotland, Ireland all separate from that) all build networks with their own. But what's actually more important is your own identity—knowing who your ancestors were, what great people existed, the pride of being their descendant. But groups without that ethnic identity—like Black people, Latin Americans—they're just stuck in the lower class forever. Irish and Italians eventually succeeded, but those without ethnic identity... they're still struggling.
They also care obsessively about blood relations, regional ties, and school networks. The bomber mafia thing in the US Air Force didn't come out of nowhere.
The truth is, I just wanted to reconcile with my mother.
I can't forget that comment saying even his face seemed to change from Korean-American to just Korean
ngl the cinematography in this is insane, whoever filmed this deserves an award fr fr
Yesss Seongjun is king!!!!
But seeing his recent updates on YouTube, he tried living as a Korean too but it didn't work out, so it seems like he's walking his own path—not denying his American identity but also not getting absorbed into his Korean identity.
I think it was a defense mechanism coming from worrying that his birth mother might reject him, which would hurt even more. I hope he finds more happiness moving forward.
Later in his YouTube video he actually admitted in the comments that his earlier behavior was like a self-defense mechanism metacognition going hard.
How self-aware is this lol...
After that he even worked as a boxer in Korea, and I heard he still visits Korea often to see family
I'm just so relieved... ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
At first I think his words had some resentment mixed in toward the parents who abandoned him. But after actually meeting them and learning the truth, his mindset changed. Still, I'm so glad they got to meet again.
I get his heart too. How much must he have resented his mom and Korea. But he's such a good person
Even though he resented them, he still participated in the program and came, and I'm grateful for that.... ㅠㅡㅠ
I hope everyone is happy
The emotion of the moment is beautiful, but life isn't always that sweet. I think the experience of trying to live a new life has value in itself.
Dude this hit me right in the feels, not expecting to cry at work today 😭
For real, such beautiful words. Let's all stop fighting and just be happy..!
Looking at the comments again, I wanted to emphasize that he's not denying his background as American while also not being absorbed by his Korean identity—walking his own path. But somehow it reads like I emphasized 'American' twice lol
okay but why am i scrolling through this at 2am when i have work tomorrow, absolutely beautiful story tho
This is so wholesome I can't even... my heart is full rn 💕
Plot twist: we're all just trying to find our way home in some way, aren't we?