In 'Dad and Me,' Lee Geon-joo's younger brother, who was adopted to France, learned about the background of his adoption after approximately 42 years. This also led to the resolution of misunderstandings between the siblings.
On the broadcast of TV Chosun's 'Dad and Me' on the 17th, Lee Geon-joo shared stories about his adoption for the first time with his brother.
Earlier in the previous broadcast, Lee Geon-joo met his biological brother, who was adopted to France at the age of 1. His brother's name is Lee Geon-cheol, and they showed the appearance of siblings who were reunited after a long time. Lee Geon-joo said, 'I was glad that you waited for a long time. I wonder what hardships you went through.'
They decided to share their true feelings as siblings for the first time. They revealed their family history regarding the adoption. The brothers headed to a cafe in the city early in the morning. Lee Geon-joo said first, 'Ask me anything you’re curious about,' to which his brother replied, 'Actually, I have some questions about our parents. But I'm curious why I was adopted, and what stories were there in our family.' He had asked this question 18 years ago but couldn't get a proper answer due to the language barrier.
This was a question that his brother had kept in his heart all his life. Lee Geon-joo explained, 'Due to the absence of our grandfather, our grandmother raised three siblings by herself in a difficult life. When grandchildren were born, I happened to be born at the time when our father enlisted, and by the time he was discharged, my brother's mother was pregnant.' However, the parents separated without knowing about the pregnancy. He mentioned that he was left on the floor of his grandmother's house.
Lee Geon-joo conveyed, 'Our grandmother thought that overseas adoption was the best option for her grandchildren. She felt a burden on her heart for not being able to raise both of us and was heartbroken.'
Lee Geon-joo said, 'Our grandmother found it difficult to raise both of us, and she didn't want to send us both away. So, I remained since I was born first,' adding, 'I feel sorry for Geon-cheol because he was sent away for being my brother.' He continued, 'Anyway, I feel the most sorry that I was in Korea, and you were here. I had my family, but Geon-cheol, you didn't have even that, and I’m sorry for it.'
After learning the truth about his adoption after 42 years, his brother was at a loss for words. When Lee Geon-joo said, 'If I had any resentment, I understand and I'm sorry,' his brother replied, 'I don’t resent you. Our siblings are not responsible. After all, you didn’t know anything either. Our situation is not our fault; it’s just our destiny, and that’s okay,' comforting his brother instead, which brought tears to Lee Geon-joo's eyes.
His brother also said, 'If I had said this 18 years ago, we could have saved 18 years. I'm really glad to know it even now.' When asked if he found the answers he wanted, he replied, 'To some extent, I have found them. I just wanted to know the reasons. It doesn’t matter if the answers are good or bad; what’s important is that I heard the answers.' He expressed relief, saying, 'I heard the answers to the questions I held onto for a lifetime. I didn’t know 18 years ago, but I understand now that you explained it to me, and it makes me feel relieved.'
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