Searching for Answers: Capturing the Story of a Korean-Australian Adoptee

Searching for Answers:
Capturing the Story of
a Korean-Australian Adoptee

07/14/2025

Not long ago, Moktan Productions was brought on by 7PM Company to support a segment for The Project, Australia’s leading news, current affairs, and talk show program. The piece followed Kimberley Lee, a Korean-Australian adoptee, on her first visit to South Korea since her adoption—a personal journey to understand more about her origins, and a reflection on the complexities of international adoption.

Kimberley was adopted as a baby and raised in Australia, where she continues to live and work today. Her adoptive parents had always been open about her background, and as an adult, she approached the search not necessarily with an expectation of reunion, but with an openness to learning more about her roots and connecting with the culture she was born into.

The interview took place just a day after the family's arrival in Korea, outside the Eastern Social Welfare Society in Sinchon—the same agency that had facilitated Kimberley’s adoption. She was joined by her sister Alex, who traveled with her and participated in the interviews to provide emotional support. Given the proximity to a busy road, both interviews were filmed behind the building, where it was quieter. One was conducted before the family’s appointment, the other shortly after.

Though the crew didn’t enter the agency, we were able to film Kimberley and her family entering and exiting, and used the time in between interviews to gather B-roll of the building and neighborhood. The story was intimate, and we approached it with the sensitivity and discretion it called for—working with a two-person team and filming in a way that allowed the emotional weight of the day to remain centered on the family, not the cameras.

Inside the agency, the family met with a helpful contact who shared limited information—mostly concerning Kimberley’s birth mother. While the facts were sparse, the meeting still proved emotional. The family later shared that they had quietly teared up during the conversation, as the reality of the moment settled in. According to the information provided, Kimberley’s mother had made the decision to place her for adoption voluntarily.

What stood out throughout the day was Kimberley’s grounded perspective. As an adult with a strong relationship to her adoptive family, she wasn’t necessarily seeking reunion, but rather understanding. Her openness—to whatever answers might surface, and to connecting with her Korean heritage—was powerful to witness.

Reflecting on this shoot, we’re reminded of how documentary work can be both delicate and vital. It’s not always about dramatic revelations, but about creating space for people to speak, reflect, and be seen.

We’re deeply grateful to 7PM Company and The Project for involving us in such a meaningful story—and to Kimberley and her family for allowing us to help share it. It was an honor to contribute to one of The Project’s final episodes, near the end of its remarkable 16-year run.

Check out the segment below!