"If we ever meet, I'm sorry I couldn't be a good mother..." [Finding Lost Family]

[Financial News] "I was very unwell, so I entrusted my child to my in-laws at that time, but she went missing. After recovering my health, I started searching for her in earnest, but it was already too late."
Mr. A (73) tearfully said this as if the event of losing his daughter Kim Young-min (currently 47 years old, pictured) 40 years ago happened just yesterday. He, who couldn't hold his head high for a lifetime due to the shame of not being able to protect his child, did not reveal his real name.
Mr. Kim went missing on April 25, 1980, at the age of 2 in Yeonje-gu, Busan. Mr. A had entrusted the child to the parents of his common-law husband while he was receiving treatment at the hospital. At that time, the in-laws said that while they were momentarily distracted, Mr. Kim left the house and did not return.
Mr. A, dragging his sick body, searched for Mr. Kim but ultimately could not find him. Even at the orphanage he visited with a glimmer of hope, there was no trace of Mr. Kim. The help from the police and district office staff was minimal.
Mr. A cannot remember the exact details of the time when Mr. Kim went missing. Due to extreme stress and shock, he lost part of his memory. Mr. A's husband, who was habitually violent, left without registering their marriage because the daughter was missing. Mr. A lived alone for a lifetime after losing Mr. Kim.
After recovering his health, Mr. A began searching for Mr. Kim in earnest. Living in Jeonju, he commuted to Busan as if it were his workplace, searching thoroughly. Staying at various accommodations became routine. He even made flyers for missing children, but all he received were prank calls.
Even now, Mr. A spends hours on the Busan subway without any particular destination. Sometimes, when he sees a child resembling Mr. Kim, he unconsciously approaches and talks to them. He says that when he returns home after spending all day absent-mindedly on the subway and catching the last train, the day has already passed.
In Mr. A's faint memory, Mr. Kim was a child with a round face and pointy ears. Mr. A used to tutor as a side job in the past, and he still vividly remembers Mr. Kim pretending to read a book among elementary school students.
Mr. A sighed, "It feels like just yesterday when Young-min, who couldn't even read, opened a book and babbled," adding, "I wanted to raise him well without envy, but not being able to see him for a lifetime makes my heart feel blocked."
Mr. A has completed DNA registration with the police and is waiting to hear news of Mr. Kim. He is actively participating in the search for missing children through the Child Rights Protection Agency.
He emphasized, "Over 40 years have passed, and Young-min must be in his mid-to-late 40s by now. I don't know if he knows he has a biological mother, but I haven't given up on finding Young-min yet."
He added, "If I ever meet him even once, I want to tell him I'm sorry I couldn't be a proper mother," and "Until then, I pray that Young-min lives happily and well."  


banaffle@fnnews.com Yoon Hong-jip Reporter