More than 600 Korean-born adoptees came from countries around the world to visit the nation of their birth, for the International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) Gathering, Oct. 19-24. The Oct. 19 opening ceremony for this year's event featured a historic appearance by first lady Kim Hea Kyung, marking the first time a Korean first lady has attended the gathering. Her visit also marked the third occasion that adoption-related issues have been publicly addressed during President Lee Jae Myung's administration. For many attendees, the gesture was meaningful, but it was also met with cautious optimism and lingering frustration. The triennial IKAA Gathering goes far beyond heritage tourism or giving participants opportunities to reconnect with their roots. It serves as a platform for collective advocacy, bringing together grassroots organizers, legal experts, scholars and adoptees to address longstanding systemic issues. Discussions range from reclaiming citizenship and navigating long-term residency in Korea to birth family searches, DNA testing and calls for greater transparency in adop