June Newsletter

UPCOMING AK CONNECTION EVENTS July 20: Crafts & Drafts with AK Connection We’re thrilled to return to Arbeiter Brewing Company for a social hour for Korean Adoptees and their loved ones with crafts, drafts and some Korean style snacks. Registration and more details to come out this week!   Date: Sunday, July 20, 2025 Time: 4 - 6:30 p.m. Location: Arbeiter Brewing Company (3038 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406)   August 9: AK Connection Picnic Mark your calendars for our annual picnic! Korean adoptees and loved ones of all ages are welcome. Whether you’re reconnecting with old friends or making new ones, it’s going to be a day to remember. We can't wait to see you there!   Date: August 9, 2025 Time: TBD (evening) Location: Jaycees Shelter (2540 Lexington Avenue North, Roseville, MN 55113)   November 8: AK Connection 25th Anniversary - A Tapestry of Stories: Celebrating Korean Adoptee Lives COMMUNITY EVENTS

Highlighting Korean-American and adoptee community events July 7, 2025: Registration closes for Mu Explorations Camp by Theater Mu July 11-13, 2025: Panda Fest Twin Cities July 13, 2025: K-Pop World Festival USA Midwest Regional Round July 14, 2025: Myonghee Kimchi’s Relish episode airs (now streaming online) September 20, 2025: Korean Culture Festival September 27, 2025: Self-Care Workshop by Adoptee Hub April 16-19, 2026: Also-Known-As New York 30th Anniversary BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOTE Thank you for sticking together and rocking out with us! A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Sticking Together: a POUND® Workout for the Korean Adoptee Community! Your energy, smiles, and rhythm made this an unforgettable experience for us. Many thanks to Aimee Sue Ladin for leading us through an empowering and fun-filled workout.  Also, this past month, participants from Roots & Reflections: A Support Circle for Korean Adoptees gathered again as a follow-up from our March session. We are so grateful for the guidance from Megan Nyberg, MA, LPCC, for guiding and facilitating this follow-up, as well as Lynn Woo Yeong Sando, MA, LADCC, LPCC, who played a huge role in creating this safe space for our community. We organized Roots & Reflections in response to our community’s need to reflect, share, and discuss the impact of the investigative reporting - Frontline: South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. Korean Adoptees all over the world are still searching for answers about what comes next. A community-based group, EARS on NCRC, has formed to report on the transfer process of our adoption files. On July 7th, EARS is organizing a National Assembly Forum on Ethical Transfer of Overseas Adoption Records and State Responsibility, which will feature Korean Adoptee scholars and writers, as well as Korean scholars, writers, lawyers, and activists, urging President Lee Jae-Myung to ensure the safe transfer and historical preservation of our records.  Registration for National Assembly Forum Livestream Whether you’ve already explored your records, are just beginning, taking time to reflect, or feeling uncertain about your next steps, we see you, and we’re in this together. We’re seeking community input on how we continue our Roots & Reflections support circles, and we’d love to hear from you. Community Input for Roots & Reflections Take care, AK Connection Board of Directors  Seeking AK Connection Board Members and Volunteers Since 2000, AK Connection has served as a resource for adult Korean Adoptees, their families, and communities in Minnesota. As a non-profit organization led by all Korean Adoptees, we provide cultural, educational, and social programming for our Korean Adoptee community.  This work would not be possible without community members donating their time, resources, and skills to AK Connection. If you are interested in serving on our board or volunteering, please fill out an interest form - we’re looking forward to hearing from you! DONATE TO AK CONNECTION VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM BOARD MEMBER INTEREST FORM