October 2024

4/7/2025

UPCOMING AK CONNECTION EVENTS

Dec. 8: AK Connection Winter Market!

Tis the season to check out our first-ever Winter Market where all of the vendors and performers will be Korean adoptees! We have so many amazingly talented people in our community, and we’re excited to feature their music, crafts, treats, books and much more! There will also be food and beverages available to purchase and we’ll have a special door prize featuring a gift basket made up of items from our awesome vendors. All are welcome to attend! Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Date: Sunday, Dec. 8
Time: 2-5 p.m.
Location: St. Louis Park Rec Center’s Banquet Room (3700 Monterey Dr, St Louis Park, MN 55416)

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS

Highlighting Korean-American and adoptee news and additional community events

November 2: Adoptee Hub Cultural Identity and Self Care Workshop
November 2: KAM Adult Traditional Folk Painting Class
November 9: KAAM Korean History and Culture One Day Class
November 9: Moshi Jogakbo Coaster Class
November 15: Building Bridges: Uniting Transracial Adoptees in Conversation Around Community and Belonging Workshop
Now - December 20: Apply for the 2025 Mosaic Tour to Korea

WHAT'S NEW

Share Your Thoughts: Take Our AK Connection Events Survey by Nov. 15

We want to make sure our monthly events for Korean adoptees are meaningful, enjoyable, and meet your needs. To do that, we need your feedback! Whether you've joined us once or attend every month, your insights are invaluable. Take a moment to complete our quick, anonymous survey which should take 2-3 minutes to complete. The board will review the results of the survey at our annual planning meeting in mid-November and will use your feedback to shape our 2025 events and programming lineup.

TAKE THE SURVEY

November is Give to the Max Month: Consider Donating to AK Connection

Many of us grew up in environments where we didn’t have strong ties to Korean culture or other adoptees. That’s why AK Connection is focused on helping adult Korean adoptees reconnect to our birth culture and each other.

We do that by providing monthly events, most of which are no cost to our community – whether that’s celebrating traditional Korean holidays, holding discussions focused on adoption issues, or hosting socials so you can meet fellow KADs.

As a non-profit organization with an all-volunteer board, we rely primarily on donations to help fund these events. If you’re able, please consider making a donation to support our 2025 programming - no donation is too small! Each time you make a gift during Give to the Max, you can help AK Connection win additional grants. Thank you in advance for your support!

DONATE

News Roundup: Associated Press Investigation Into Korean Adoption

The Associated Press has continued to publish additional articles covering their investigation of widespread fraud and abuse in South Korean adoption. You can find a full summary of coverage, including all news articles and the documentary on this PBS page.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOTE

In each newsletter, you'll hear from the board members who organized that month's event. Learn more about our all-volunteer board.

Strengthening Our Community

Thank you to everyone who joined us for AK Connection’s Halloween event on October 26! It was a night to remember—filled with laughter, trivia challenges, karaoke hits, and some seriously amazing costumes that brought out everyone’s creativity.

A huge shout-out to Eat Street Crossing for letting us transform their “Sewing Room” into our Halloween hangout. Mia McGill, you rocked as our MC, keeping the vibe fun and lively all night long! And of course, we couldn’t have done karaoke without Denis and Kira, who brought their setup and made sure we had a blast singing our hearts out.

At AK Connection, bringing people together is what we’re all about. We’re here for each other, wherever we are on our journeys, with events for everyone—whether family-focused or adult-only. This community grows stronger with every event, and we’re so grateful to all the adult Korean Adoptees, friends, and families who make it feel like home.

Our volunteer Board of Directors puts in a ton of time and energy to create spaces like this. And as a nonprofit, we’re able to keep these events free or affordable thanks to the generous support of our amazing community. Every donation fuels moments like these, bringing us closer together. Thank you for being part of AK Connection, for making it all possible, and for helping us keep the fun going—together!