Pages

April 25, 2010

Jan's Story-Dongari Switzerland



Dae-won Wenger

Kim Dae-Won - 김대원

Alias - Jan Wenger (???)

1994 Cofounder of Dongari Switzerland (with REV. Kim DoHyun)

1994 – 1999 Head Editor, Dongari News

****************************************************************

http://www.dongari.ch/english.htm





Dongari Switzerland is an association for Korean adoptees in Switzerland. It was founded in January 1994 and has steadily grown from 8 members to around 150 members in 1997. There are about 1200 Korean adoptees living in Switzerland which is a rather small group compared to the official number of 132'000 all over the world. There are even estimates from 150'000 to 200'000.

We organize several activities such as picnic, ski-weekend, panel-discussions etc. Many of our members have found their birthparents or relatives in Korea (some even through the help of Dongari) and have since visited their motherland. Dongari tries to support its members by offering a platform where everything about Korea and adoption can be discussed. We do have several connections to the Korean community in Switzerland and to Korea. Dongari's official publication is the "Dongari News" that appears twice a year.

After a longer period, the Dongari homepage is arisen. We know that the old version of this site was published in english. In the mean time, there have been several changes inside the Dongari association. In the matter of fact this association is primary for Adoptees living in Switzerland and we have restricted resources and human manpower. We decided to publish this site in the future only in german.

Jan Wenger, the former Administrator of this Site left the Organisation. We would like to thank him very much for supporting our interests on the web. We wish him a good time and hope to hear from him.

Don't worry. The most important information concerning adoption, family search and links to other organisations and adoption agencies are also available in english.

http://www.dongari.ch/adoption.htm

At the bottom under this banner we find:


(Many different stories of Swiss Adoptees with various experiences are shared.)

At the bottom of the page we find THIS:


AHA, “Jan’s Geschichte” (Jan's Story) Hmmmm. Who is Jan? Let’s click on it and find out:

***************************************************

http://www.dongari.ch/content/adoption/stories/jan.htm


My name is Jan and I was adopted at age 4 1/2 to a family in Switzerland - along with my older brother.Korea and the first year in Switzerland I knew pretty soon that I will search for my birthmother. Although I do not have any memories of the time in

I started in 1984 or 1985 by sending some letters. At first I wrote to the Korean Embassy in Berne but all I received were some promotional material about Korea. That was not the information I was looking for. The next step was the adoption agency. Here in Switzerland this agency is called "Terre des Homme". There I had more success. I received a file from the agency with some details about me and my brother.

Unfortunately the details on the files were pretty the same. We were told by the agency and by our parents that we were full orphans. But my brother and I knew and never talked about it. We had a birthmother... With those files on hand I thought that the search might be easier than I ever thought. I continued my efforts and put a lot of strength into this search.

In 1990 I participated at the YWCA summerschool and there I met Korean adoptees for the first time. There were so many from the Netherlands. During that stay (three weeks only) I got my paperwork with me and one day we went to the K.S.S. (Korea Social Service).

But we were hardly in the building when I had some really bad feelings. And when it was my turn the director himself told me what was more of less.

How I found her

In 1994 I participated at the CCEJ World Conference For Young Koreans Living Abroad. It took place in August 1994 and started in Tokyo, Japan. There were delegations from many countries all over the world and the group of Swiss participants were the only Korean adoptees at this conference.

After Tokyo we went to Osaka, travelled then back to Seoul where we took some coaches and went down to Kyung-ju. We went on a sight-seeing tour through Korea, stayed overnight in a small village with traditional houses (it was very hot...) and watched some traditional Korean folkdances.

Back in Seoul we stayed at first at the National Reunification Center where we held some conferences and panel-discussions about how the reunification could be supported and how it should work. Later we also went on a trip to the DMZ (De-militarised Zone) at the border to North Korea. That time Kim Sung-Il just died and for that reason we were not allowed to go into Panmunjom. But I knew that place from a previous visit (YWCA 1990).

During that stay in the National Reunification Center I was interviewed by a journalist of the Chosun-Ilbo, which is one of the national newspapers. And on August 16, 1999 the following article appeared:

(NOTE: Written in Chinese style RIGHT to Bottom, then Right column to LEFT columns. 金대완 – Mr. Kim Dae-Won just before #26 on the RIGHT side under 색연필

And the very day my family contacted me over the phone. I was almost paralyzed and after three hours of waiting I was there with my family. My birthmother came along with my two aunts and some cousins. I left the conference (it was the night before the last day...) and went to my aunt's flat in Seoul. We talked a lot (with the help of my small dictionary) and since I only knew a little bit Korean I was only able to get some information. The next day we went to the Chosun-Ilbo building in Seoul (thank god that my uncle owns a taxi...) and we met the journalist to thank him for his article. I was interviewed again and another article about my reunion appeared on August 19, 1999.

Jan Wenger

Last updated: 17.05.2003
www.dongari.ch - © Copyright 2003 by Dongari - alle Rechte vorbehalten.

******************************************************

This is a wonderful story of reunion despite the roadblocks and red tape that tried to block a persistent adoptee from finding he and his brother's roots and birth/natural mother. We do not know the relationship with the Adoptive Parents and other family members, what was their feelings or did they ‘help’ with the searching process, this would help Adoptive families DEAL with this sensitive but necessary issue. This was published in Chosun Daily, Korea on AUG. 1999, and posted on Dongari Switzerland’s website.



It SEEMS that Kim Dae-Won and Jan Wenger are the same person…But why is the story TOO PERSONAL to share with the Korean War Baby when he simply asked “Dae-Won Wenger” what his Adoption Story was just last November, 2010?

Dae-Won or JAN! Why did you not share this very PUBLIC story to me personally, when I asked you? You told me at that time, "it is too personal" and I accepted that with respect, as it seems that some Europeans sometimes are more closed, unlike most Americans. I did though, think it a little strange that you as leader of GOA’L would not share your own personal story to GOA'L members who would benefit from your PERSONAL STORY.

WELL, seems that you DID SHARE IT...under your SWISS NAME. Since it IS PUBLICLY OUT THERE ON THE INTERNET, I thought others could learn and benefit from your own personal story.

I believe that your story is very important and some of the MISINFORMATION, possible LIES and PROBLEMS that happened when Jan Wenger/Kim Dae-Won/Dae-Won Wenger tried to find his birth mother SHOULD BE TOLD.

YES, when there are problems with government and Adoption Agencies then hold their FEET TO THE FIRE. In such cases, by all the gods you may believe in, this must be corrected.

金대완 – Mr. Kim Dae-Won/

Jan Wenger /

Dae-Won Wenger

So perhaps JAN’S STORY explains somethings about MR. JAN WENGER, formerly known as DAE-WON WENGER, and now back to KIM Dae-Won (well legally not until he can DO that after Duel Citizenship is signed into LAW in 2011).

Do you REALLY expect us to believe that YOU are NEUTRAL on the issues of adoption? Seems to me that you might be a bit upset about it...do you really, really feel neutral after such problems that you faced with government and Adoption Agencies?

"we went to the K.S.S. (Korea Social Service).

But we were hardly in the building when I had some really bad feelings."

Do your bad feelings still persist? Do you want to stop others from "losing their culture, language, family". It would seem likely, and who could blame you. WHY did she give up TWO fine SONS, we surely would like to know more of the story.

Why did you hide from me and others your own story? Did you think your relationship with Rev. KIM DoHyun as CO-FOUNDERS of Dongari_Switzerland in 1994 would not be understood. This causes some concern of your real neutrality in the issues of Stopping Adoption to other countries. You have not published to GOA'L members YOUR STORY for members. Please let them know the WHOLE story someday, now that you are a Board of Director and will CHOOSE THE NEXT Secretary General along with your "friend/mentor?" Rev. Kim DoHyun.

What IS exactly IS your relationship with Rev. Kim DoHyun, who has done marvelous work for adoptees over the years, during the time of his stay in Switzerland. His founding of KoRoot as a place of refuge and base for visiting Korean Adoptees has benefited hundreds. The Korean War Baby has talked with him many times on the issues.

Rev. Kim, Please let us know exactly what you think about STOPPING ALL OVERSEAS ADOPTIONS as the FIRST STEP. Is this your OWN idea of the perfect solution? ASK co-founder KIM STOKER has expressed to me many times- "stopping overseas adoption will force Korean people to take care of their own?" I have argued that some of their reasons seem slightly flawed, such as "Korea is now a well off country, number 13th economy, they should take care of their children." THIS IS NOT logical, only from a WESTERN mindset that ignored the reality of BLOODLINES that perhaps a majority of Korean still consider strongly. The shame of NOT being able to have a child especially a SON is also very very strong in the majority of cases, thus the reasons that 97 to 98% of the 11 babies adopted each DAY are SECRETLY DONE.

REV. KIM, you hold a very strong influence on the ASK membership, Kim Su Rasmussen and many of the Group of 33. Would you publicly state your position on this matter? Are you also pledged to claim "Neutrality" but want to "POLITICIZE" GOA'L with your close friend Jan Wenger, alias Dae-Won Wenger, now known as Kim Dae-Won?

TO Jan Wenger, alias Dae-Won Wenger, now known as Kim Dae-Won-Did the Rev. KIM DoHyun actually help you find your birth mother in August 16, 1999? That would be a wonderful story to share with GOA’L members. Are you uncomfortable with your close relationship, why did you tell ME, the KWB, you only knew each other since you became Secretary General of GOA’L in 2004? I am curious about that.

PERHAPS you could share these things before you and the other Board of Directors meet and CHOOSE the NEXT Anti-Adoption Adoptee Associate as the Secretary General of “Neutral

Global (NOT) Only-members-in-Korea Adoptees’ Lies

No comments:

Post a Comment