Jonathan Park Oyen, 52, is a retired U.S. Army soldier who now works for the federal government in Seoul, South Korea in a civilian position similar to the one he held while in the military. He reminisces about first returning to Korea after his adoption as a 20-year old while enlisted in the service, of meeting his wife, Young Jin, and of raising a family of his own. Oyen, who once was known as Park Jong Sung, was found by his Korean mother, ironically, while stationed in Korea, though she had emigrated to the U.S. Oyen talks about being a parent himself and of navigating the complex relationships with his own parents as an adopted person over time.

(All photos courtesy of Jonathan Park Oyen. In one photo, Oyen is shown with his biological mother, Soon Hee, and a babysitter, on the day of he left Korea to be adopted by the Oyen family of Crystal, Minnesota. In a second photo, Oyen is shown with his adoptive family on the day he arrived in the U.S.)