About the Park

Omma Poom History

The city of Paju, Korea is located just south of Panmunjeom at the 38th parallel and Demilitarized Zone. Beginning in 2017, Paju began developing a memorial park named Omma Poom, dedicated to the approximately 200,000 children who were sent from Korea to be adopted and raised around the world. Set on the grounds of the former U.S. military base Camp Howze, the park’s location is equally significant. Originally established in 1953 and returned to South Korea in 2007, the transformation of this land into a memorial park marks a powerful shift from a history of division to one of reconciliation and healing.

In September of 2018, the park was formally dedicated at a ceremony attended by local government officials, adoptees from all over the world, birth families, and supporters of the adoptee community. For the dedication, Korean adoptees were invited to submit photos and letters with personal messages, to be displayed at the ceremony. Me & Korea received an overwhelming number of submissions, with 650 total photos and 60 letters contributed. More than ever, adoptees wanted to share, connect, and have their voices heard.

Since the dedication, work on the park has continued, with its formal opening set to take place in the summer of 2025.

A Space for Reflection and Healing
The park’s name, Omma Poom, carries deep significance: "Omma" means "mother" in Korean, and "Poom" evokes the comfort of a mother’s embrace. The park is designed to serve as both a tribute to the enduring bond between adoptees and their birth families, and a space for healing the wounds caused by decades of separation.

Park Features

Once completed, Omma Poom will feature a number of artworks and special installations created by Korean adoptees as well as local artists, each with unique meaning. Explore these works below.

bLOSSom

Mural, leah forester

Leah Forester, an adoptee residing in Southern California, created an artwork that was painted on the wall of Omma Poom with the assistance of fellow adoptee Karen Woodburn, in preparation for its public opening in October 2024.

The word loss is nestled within blossom, a subtle reminder that from our deepest sorrows, new beginnings can arise. It is through the weight of grief that we are often transformed, for in the pain of what we have lost, we find the seeds of what we can become. Just as a flower blooms after enduring the harshness of winter, so too do we, in the midst of our heartache, discover the potential for renewal. In the emptiness left by loss, there is space for growth, and in that space, we blossom into something new, something stronger.

The faceless woman embodies the image of our birth mother in our hearts. She holds her pregnant belly, contemplating the life of the unborn child. The skirt, woven with culture, language, heritage, and identity, falls apart into fragments and drifts away from her. Those fragments become the hibiscus, the flower that symbolizes the resilience of the Korean people.

The stories of adoptees may sometimes seem as difficult to hold onto as the scattered pieces of the skirt. However, through our journey back to the embrace of our mother, the seeds that sprout from loss bloom into whole and beautiful flowers.

Shadow Child

Sculpture, Woonsook Kim

A woman standing in the wind embraces her empty bosom. She looks down on her long, dark shadow. Her shadow holds a baby— the child she buried in her heart.

Mother and Son

Sculpture

Made in 1985 by the Late Nam Young-Won, Director of Gynecology at the Bu-in Clinic, who helped thousands of babies come into the world.

Dr. Nam found the sight of a mother holding her baby and nursing them so beautiful, he created this statue to honor all mothers around the world.

Donor: Kim Joo Hyun (Director of Rehabilitation Clinic), Son of Dr. Nam Young-Won 

Mother’s Arms

Sculpture, Wang Kwang Hyun

This artwork shapes the image of being put around in mother's arms who is wearing a white ramie summer blouse.

The shape of circles gradually gathering suggests a meaning of "returning to mom's arms" 

This artwork also expresses the love of motherland metaphorically through drawing Siberian chrysanthemum which means mother's love.

The Wall of Names

A rock wall in the sculpture garden showcases handpainted name tags, featuring names and birth dates from Korean adoptees around the world.

Add your name

Ahead of the June 2025 opening ceremony, we invite Korean adoptees to commemorate their names on personalized nametags. Learn how to add your name.

Adoptee Voices at the Peace Museum

This new indoor exhibit builds upon the original temporary outdoor installation from 2018, which featured the photos and messages of more than 700 adoptees. It will serve as a powerful tribute to the stories of Korean adoptees in Korea.

Add your voice

Ahead of the June 2025 opening ceremony, Korean adoptees are invited to submit their own message for the Adoptee Voices installation. Submit your message here.