KAIAN was founded in 2014, following in the footsteps of similar Korean adoptee organisations from the US and Europe. The mission of KAIAN is to provide information to adult Korean adoptees in Australia, to raise awareness of the unique adoptee experience, and primarily, to build a supportive community of adult adoptees and allies. Our main activities are casual social events for adult Korean adoptees plus partners and friends, often held at local Korean restaurants, bars and noraebangs. These events also promote the sharing of experiences, information, and resources amongst Korean adoptees who have often grown up isolated from one another, as well as isolated from other Korean Australian migrant communities. KAIAN has also hosted Korean cultural events such as Korean cooking and kimchi-making classes, Korean makeup classes, and subsidised beginner-level Korean language classes. In 2016, members of the KAIAN committee attended the IKAA "Gathering", an international conference for Korean adoptees from all over the world, held at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. Recently, KAIAN also screened the documentary “Approved for Adoption” by Belgian Korean adoptee and filmmaker Jung Henin, in Perth. KAIAN has received generous support from the Korean Consulate General of Melbourne, the Korean Embassy of Australia, the Australia-Korea Foundation, VANISH (Victorian Adoptee Network for Information and Self-Help), and WebRes Solutions."
