Once a War Orphan, Now a Fighting Hero
Last week I read the compelling story of Sam Han. At six years of age, Han was orphaned during the Korean War after he was displaced from his parents in Seoul. Over sixty years later, Mr. Han is giving his life (literally) to help those in North Korea who ,without families, are walking the same roads he did as a young boy. Wanting to know more, I searched for his foundation and emailed them for an interview request. Less than thirty-six hours later, I had a response from Mr. Han himself. I asked for fifteen minutes. He graciously gave much more.
From the start, I expressed my sorrow about his cancer. He related the long and painful journey he has traveled since his diagnosis in 2002. His last procedure had been just a few days prior to our conversation. Mr. Han’s sense of purpose overshadowed his difficulty of battling a life-threatening disease. Indeed, Han says that, “God has allowed me to survive to do his mission.”
Fascinated by the turns his life had taken, I asked Sam how he decided that he wanted to help orphans. ”Long story,” he said. He talked about being a World Vision volunteer while he was a college student during the Vietnam War. As Han sent in donations, World Vision relayed reports of how his donations were meeting the needs of children in poverty. Each gift began to sow seeds of a vision to help orphans in North Korea.
Like many of us, Han finished college and began life in the corporate world. He was very successful with a major chemical company, and made it to the top of the ladder. Han began to manage major company operation overseas.
Then his “vision was rekindled” in 1995 when he visited North Korea for the first time since his early childhood. As many as 200,000 orphans were created there by a catastrophic flood. It was in the destruction in North Korea where Han came face to face with the seemingly insurmountable issues orphans were facing. However, the demands of upper management drove him back to life in the corporate world.
When Han was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, he said that he, “Did not want to meet God without fulfilling his vision.” Han decided that his last days on earth would be lived with the purpose, or mission, to help North Korean orphans. Part of that mission, has manifested in the form of proposed legislation, Senate Bill S.3156, more commonly known as the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act. This Bill would allow American families to adopt North Korean refugee children. Mr. Han described how thousands of North Korean children are crossing the borders into neighboring countries in search of refuge. In reality, North Korean orphan refugees live an indefinite life of danger and uncertainty while in hiding. ”The passage of this Bill is the most important thing in my life right now.” Because conditions in North Korea have made it so difficult for relief to find its proper destination, Han hopes that more and more orphans can find the life that he did here in America. In 1961, the Orphan Adoption Special Law was enacted to protect orphaned and dependent children adopted by families from abroad. Han was the first Korean child to enter the U.S. after the passage of this Bill.
Please take the time to print the petition for the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act. Pray for those whose lives are in danger because they have no voice.
