A Korean-American woman who was adopted into the U.S. as a war orphan has been recognized for her longtime support of children in her home country. Gyeongsangnam-do province of Korea has recognized her achievements and named her an honorary citizen.
Gyeongsangnam-do announced on November 18 that it had selected Lindy Soon Curry (Korean Name Lee Jung Soon) as an honorary citizen of Gyeongsangnam-do and handed her an honorary citizenship certificate.
According to the province government, Curry was found as an orphan by the U.S. military during the Korean War and sent to the Jinhae Hope Home, where she lived from 1953 to 1956. She was then adopted to the U.S. through Holt Children Services in March 1957.
Life in the U.S. was not easy for her, but she overcame challenges to become a harpist and storyteller who spreads traditional Korean fairy tales. She never forgot her homeland and is proud to be Korean.
Curry met and married her American husband and started a family in 1995, and together they adopted a baby from a social welfare center in Seoul, Korea.
During a chance visit to Korea in October 2000, Curry visited the Jinhae Hope Home, where she had been staying, and decided to sponsor children in her home country. Curry started a program with his family in the U.S. to write letters and send gifts and donations to the children of Jinhae Hope Home quarterly.
She later founded the nonprofit organization Bridge of Hope in the U.S. in 2002. Through the organization, Curry continued to sponsor children until 2018. In addition to cash donations, she also donated musical instruments such as pianos and cellos to help the children develop their psychological wellbeing.
Each year, she has also invited two to three adopted children to the U.S. to experience American culture. So far, she has brought 38 children to visit the U.S.
In recognition of her contributions, the Kyungsin Foundation and the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council on Social Welfare honored Curry as an honorary citizen of Gyeongsangnam-do.
“I am deeply grateful to be an honorary citizen of Gyeongsangnam-do, my hometown,” Curry said, “and I am thankful to Gyeongsangnam-do for remembering me.”
Gyeongsangnam-do delivered an honorary citizenship certificate to Curry through the head of the Gyeongsangnam-do LA office.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
