Woman travels to Korea on Mother’s Day weekend — finds mom she hadn’t seen in 40 years

For nearly four decades, one woman thought her mother had left her. But on Mother’s Day weekend 2024, she flew to Korea with nothing but a name, an old address, and a hope she refused to give up. In a video shared by @cinnamon.blaze on TikTok, the journey to find her birth mother unfolds across various obstacles before she finally receives an embrace that took 40 years to arrive.

When she arrived in Korea, the police told her they could only assist in cases of adoption or abandonment, and the search began. Seven days later, she found her. When they finally met at the airport, her mother rushed forward and pulled her into a long hug. She later took her kids to meet "omma," and the bond was immediate. Through a series of photos and videos, she revealed how her mother instantly grew close to her kids and her whole family.

She shared the complete story in a follow-up video, recounting how the reunion happened. Her father had met her mother while stationed in Korea during his military service. They got married, but her mother’s family disapproved of the bond and cut her off. "When it was time for him to come back to the States, he told her that he was gonna bring me and get me settled in, and in two weeks, he would send her a plane ticket. And he never sent her a plane ticket," she explained. She said he also took her mother’s passport, preventing her from leaving Korea. For most of her life, she was told her mother "didn’t like it in the States" and had chosen to leave.

When her father died three years ago, she found their marriage license, along with her mother’s name, birthdate, and grandparents’ address. She was supposed to visit Bali with a friend in May 2024, but changed plans and flew to Korea instead. She typed "how to find a parent in Korea" into her phone and was directed to the police, where she learned that the Korean government allows residents to register their DNA every ten years. After she submitted her sample, she was told results could take 60 days, unless her mother was already in the system and willing to connect.

She told police she was leaving the next day, though she had three days left on her vacation, and flew to the Philippines to see her cousin. "When we landed, I turned on my phone and saw the message from the Korean police department: 'Hey, we found your mom. She wants to talk to you,'" she said. Upon immediately returning to Korea that weekend, she met her at the train station. "So here I am, the only child from that situation," she said. "I’ll be 42," she added. "It’s significant because this year marks exactly 40 years since my mama spent a birthday with me." Her story is extraordinary not only because of what she overcame, but because of how rare reunions like hers truly are. As per a documentary, between 2012 and 2020, only than 1 in 5 Korean Americans successfully located their birth families.

The video has drawn many emotional reactions from viewers who were moved by the reunion. @the_mustard0 said, "She didn't deserve what he did to her; neither did you." @valencia.joseph_realtor commented, "So happy you found her. She went 40 years without her child. That had to be heartbreaking." @farmmomheather added, "Not her RUNNING to meet your kids at the airport. This is the most precious video ever. I’m so glad you found her!!!"

You can follow Cinnamon Blaze (@cinnamon.blaze) on TikTok for more updates on their journey.