Park pledges better support for overseas S. Korean adoptees

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday said her government will strive harder to support overseas South Korean adoptees through an array of programs, including those to help them better understand the language and culture of their motherland.

In her video message to the 2016 International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) Gathering in Seoul, Park also called on the adoptees to play a "bridging" role in connecting South Korea to the rest of the world.

"(The Seoul government) will provide the overseas adoptees with opportunities to visit their motherland, study the Korean language and experience their homeland's culture, and it will roll out support programs for adoptees who have returned to live in Korea," she said.

Under the main theme, "Connecting communities and Looking Towards the Future," the IKAA Gathering began its six-day run in Seoul on Tuesday. The event brought together some 600 people, including adoptees and their family members from the United States, Australia and other countries.

During their stay in South Korea, the adoptees will hold a set of forums on adoption-related issues and participate in a series of programs, including finding their biological families and traveling around the capital city of Seoul. (Yonhap)