Arierang

Arierang is a Dutch association serving people who were adopted from South Korea and live in the Netherlands. It provides a peer community for Korean adoptees, supports social and cultural connections, and creates opportunities to discuss adoption-related experiences and questions of identity, heritage, and belonging. Membership is intended for adoptees from the Republic of Korea who reside in the Netherlands and are older than 16. The organization emerged against the background of international adoption from South Korea to the Netherlands. Lobbying for such adoptions began in the Netherlands in the late 1960s, and adoptions started in 1969. By 2003, approximately 4,100 children had been adopted from South Korea by Dutch parents. Arierang was established in 1991 by Dutch Korean adoptee Myong Sook Flikweert. Its bylaws were filed on May 28, 1993, when it formally became a registered association. Arierang is primarily a volunteer-led membership organization rather than a commercial brand. Its activities have included an annual Arierang Weekend, monthly social gatherings, and other events organized for and by members. It also publishes the member magazine Uri Shinmun, whose title means “Our Newspaper.” Through events and information sharing, the association addresses Korean culture, language, food, travel, and adoption. These activities give members ways to maintain or explore links with Korea while building a support network within the Netherlands. The association also seeks constructive relationships with Korean society in the Netherlands and with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. Its international role is reflected in its status as a founding member and participant in the International Korean Adoptee Associations, or IKAA, a network connecting Korean adoptee organizations across countries. In 2009, Arierang hosted an IKAA Gathering in Amsterdam attended by more than 140 Korean adoptees from nine countries. Arierang’s significance lies in its community and identity-support function. It does not sell consumer products or operate as a conventional corporate brand. Instead, its name represents an organized peer network for Dutch Korean adoptees, combining social contact, cultural exchange, adoption-related information, and international collaboration.

Arierang developed within the Dutch community of people adopted from South Korea. International adoption from South Korea to the Netherlands began in 1969, following lobbying efforts that had started in late 1967. Over the period from the beginning of this adoption route through 2003, approximately 4,100 South Korean children were adopted by Dutch parents. This history created a substantial population of Korean adoptees in the Netherlands who could seek contact with others with similar backgrounds. In 1991, Dutch Korean adoptee Myong Sook Flikweert founded Arierang as an association for Korean adoptees. The organization’s bylaws were filed on May 28, 1993, establishing it formally as a registered association. Its membership model is centered on adoptees from the Republic of Korea who live in the Netherlands and are over 16 years old. Arierang’s work has been organized largely on a volunteer basis, with members involved in arranging activities for the wider membership. Its program has included the Arierang Weekend, monthly social events, and other meetings intended to foster community. The association also publishes Uri Shinmun, a member magazine whose name translates as “Our Newspaper.” Beyond social contact, Arierang shares information and organizes events relating to Korean culture, language, food, travel, and adoption. These activities support members who wish to explore Korean heritage and maintain relationships with Korean society in the Netherlands. The association has also sought good relations with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and Korean communities in the Netherlands. Arierang has an international dimension through its role as a founding member and participant in the International Korean Adoptee Associations. In 2009, it hosted an IKAA Gathering in Amsterdam. More than 140 Korean adoptees from nine countries attended, making the event a notable example of Arierang’s contribution to international adoptee networking. The available reference material does not provide evidence of a commercial product business, corporate ownership, public listing, or a conventional executive structure. Arierang is best understood as a Dutch membership association and community organization rather than a consumer-facing commercial brand.

• 2009

  Arierang hosts the IKAA Gathering in Amsterdam

  [1]Arierangen.wikipedia.org

  Arierang hosted an international gathering attended by more than 140 Korean adoptees from nine countries.

• 2003

  Reference period for Dutch-South Korean adoptions ends

  [1]Arierangen.wikipedia.org

  By 2003, approximately 4,100 children had been adopted from South Korea to Dutch parents in the Netherlands.

• 1993

  Association bylaws are filed

  [1]Arierangen.wikipedia.org

  Arierang’s bylaws were filed on May 28, marking its formal registration as an association.

• 1991

  Arierang is founded

  [1]Arierangen.wikipedia.org

  Dutch Korean adoptee Myong Sook Flikweert founded Arierang.

• 1969

  International adoptions from South Korea to the Netherlands begin

  [1]Arierangen.wikipedia.org

  International adoption of South Korean children to Dutch parents in the Netherlands began.

• 1967

  Lobbying begins for South Korean adoptions to the Netherlands

  [1]Arierangen.wikipedia.org

  Lobbying efforts related to international adoption from South Korea to the Netherlands began in the late 1960s.

A volunteer-based Dutch peer association focused on community, cultural connection, and information exchange among Korean adoptees in the Netherlands.

• Member community event

  Arierang Weekend

  An event organized for Arierang members that provides extended opportunities for social contact, peer exchange, and discussion among Korean adoptees in the Netherlands. The available source identifies it as one of the association’s recurring member activities but does not specify a fixed format, venue, or schedule.

• Member magazine

  Uri Shinmun

  Arierang’s member magazine. Its title means “Our Newspaper.” The publication serves as an internal communication and community medium for members, although the available material does not provide details about its publication frequency, editorial structure, or circulation.

• Community activity

  Monthly social events

  Regular social gatherings organized for and by members on a volunteer basis. These events support peer relationships among Korean adoptees living in the Netherlands.

1. 1Arierangen.wikipedia.org