'Eye Contact' Strong Statement: "I've Never Seen My Mother Since Birth... I Don't Even Know Her Name"

On the 12th, Kang Han, a national bobsleigh athlete, appeared on Channel A's entertainment program 'Eye Contact,' where he was shown searching for his mother. Photo by Channel A 'Eye Contact' broadcast capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] Bobsleigh national athlete Kang Han has not been able to meet the mother who left him at an orphanage.

On the 12th, the Channel A entertainment program 'Eye Contact' featured Kang Han searching for his mother.

In the broadcast, Kang Han revealed the reason for his appearance, saying, "My mother gave birth to me when she was 15. I have never seen her face since I was born. I didn't even know her name."

He said, "My mother is like a question mark to me. I have never met her. I was left at an orphanage right after birth and left the orphanage three years ago when I turned 20. I became a child who aged out of protection. Now, I live alone in Busan."

He continued, "It was very difficult to become independent and leave the safety net of the orphanage after aging out, but I have no one to confide in. I had surgery four times while doing sports, but I signed the guardian consent forms by myself, and even after surgery, when waking up from anesthesia is the most painful, no one took care of me," he lamented.

He added, "Actually, two years ago, on another program, my mother recognized me and contacted me first through SNS. We arranged a first meeting, but the day before, my mother unilaterally canceled the appointment. She asked me not to contact her anymore. That’s when I started to resent her," he said.

Kang Han said, "At the time, I didn’t understand, but I thought there must be reasons and circumstances why she couldn’t meet me. I was angry but also understood, and those feelings repeated. Since she said two years ago that she wouldn’t see me, I gave up looking for her, but I wanted to see her at least once, so I came out thinking today would be the last time."

However, Kang Han’s mother did not appear in the studio, and the participant Detective Im Byung-soo appeared instead.

Im Byung-soo said, "Your mother wants to meet and see you a lot, but since she has a family now, I think she believes the time is not right yet."

Im Byung-soo then handed Kang Han a letter and photos written by his mother.

Seeing the photos, Kang Han said, "I tell my friends I look like my mom and dad, and I do resemble my mom. This is what a real family is. I’m nervous, and I still can’t believe if this is reality or a dream."

In the letter, Kang Han’s mother wrote, "There were more times I wanted to see you than times I wanted to forget you. Maybe that’s why I was able to endure. Will you believe this feeling? How much do you resent me? I want to support you and see you, but it’s not a situation where we can meet. When things settle down, I will come to see you somehow, so please wait."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.