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A Swedish Grandmother’s 55-Year-Old Keepsake: A Korean Boy’s Dream | [단독] 스웨덴 할머니가 55년 고이 간직한 한국 소년의 꿈

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A Swedish Grandmother’s 55-Year-Old Keepsake: A Korean Boy’s Dream | [단독] 스웨덴 할머니가 55년 고이 간직한 한국 소년의 꿈

“The 4,400 won you sent for June was received well. I used the money you sent from the faraway country of Sweden to pay for my school tuition and to buy a school uniform. I even boasted to my friends at school about my foster parents. …(snip)… Foster parents, it is the hot summer season here in Korea. Until my next letter, I wish you well.” (June 30, 1969)

This letter, written in Korean, was posted on the English-speaking online community Reddit in August of last year. The original poster explained, “My grandmother, who lived in northern Sweden, passed away, and we found a letter written in a language we don’t understand. Could someone help translate it?”

The letter, carefully preserved for 55 years, had yellowed with age but was neither torn nor stained. The post received over 4,000 upvotes, and more than 200 comments followed, with users translating the letter line by line into English. Many expressed admiration: “What a remarkable woman your grandmother was.” “This is so touching. I’d love to read more letters like this.”

The sender of the letter is Gong Sam-hyun (66), a retired teacher from Busan, South Korea. Starting in 1967, when he was in second grade, he was supported for five years by a couple in Sweden. Whenever crayons, sketchbooks, or storybooks arrived from the couple—living nearly 7,500 kilometers away in northern Europe—young Gong would proudly show them off to friends, calling them “precious gifts from my foster parents.”

The Swedish couple sent Gong 3,000 to 4,000 won each month for his education. The 4,400 won mentioned in the letter would be equivalent to around 130,000 won (about $100 USD) today. Each time he received support, Gong would carefully write a thank-you letter in return. He sent over 30 letters during those years. He also sent them drawings made with the crayons they had given him, along with photos of himself holding those drawings.

The Swedish couple even donated a complete collection of world fairy tales to Gong’s school, creating a class library that allowed underprivileged students to read freely.

This unique connection was made possible by a charity hospital founded after the Korean War, which helped match children with overseas sponsors. Foreign doctors and nurses from the U.S. and U.K., who came to aid Korea’s post-war recovery, provided free medical care to sick children in Goejeong-dong, Saha District, Busan, and handed out gifts on Easter and Christmas.

“I vividly remember the foreign doctors and nurses warmly welcoming me every day,” Gong said.

Born in 1959, Gong lost his home to Typhoon Sarah that same fall and spent his entire childhood in temporary housing provided by the government. He recalls often going a whole day without a meal. “They said the charity hospital would give out white rice and beef soup, so I went there regularly,” he said. “That’s where I got connected with my Swedish ‘foster parents.’”

Gong eventually lost contact with the couple around the time he entered middle school. As an adult, he even forgot their names. However, earlier this month, he learned through Korean social media that one of his childhood letters had gone viral on an international site. On April 8, a reporter from this paper called to ask if he remembered the letter. Gong replied, “I had completely forgotten about it… they’ve passed away, haven’t they?”

When the reporter read the letter from 56 years ago to him, Gong spoke in a tearful voice: “What can I say… I used to write about everything, from entering academic contests at school to sledding with friends, but I’ve lived more than 50 years having forgotten all of it. I even lost the photo they sent me…”

In one of his letters to the Swedish couple, Gong had promised, “I will become the top student in the entire school.” He later graduated from Busan Commercial High School, a vocational school, and was accepted into Busan National University’s College of Education. He worked as a teacher in Busan for 35 years and retired as a middle school vice principal in 2022, receiving the Green Stripes Order of Service Merit. He now serves as an elder at a church in Busan.

“If I could meet them now, I would gladly travel to Sweden to thank them,” Gong said. “But that’s no longer possible. Instead, I will repay the faith and kindness they gave me by helping those around me.”

“If I could write them one final letter,” he added, “I would say this: Thank you for guiding me this far. And to your children, I want to say from the bottom of my heart—thank you, too.”

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