The International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) network successfully hosted the IKAA Gathering 2007 which took place July 31-August 5, 2007 in Seoul, South Korea. Over 600 attendees from 17 different countries participated in the week-long conference. This was the largest Korean adoptee Gathering yet, with previous ones taking place in Washington DC (1999), Oslo, Norway (2001), and Seoul (2004).

The IKAA Gathering 2007 was different from the first three Gatherings, because it marked a new direction of cooperation and collaboration within our community of international adoptee associations. Hosted, supported and organized by IKAA associations from the United States and Europe in collaboration with G.O.A.'L, Korea, each of the associations were fully responsible for a part of the program. Also smaller groups or different sub-networks were invited to make presentations or projects during the conference days. The IKAA Gathering represented a broad range of perspectives to truly reflect the diversity and richness of the adoptee community.

IKAA was first made official in March 2004 when the European associations formed IKAA Europe, followed shortly after by the establishment of IKAA USA. Common for all the IKAA associations is that they have existed between 6 and 20 years, their organizational structure and membership is comprised overwhelmingly of adult adoptees, and they have a long experience working with adoptees and they organize activities and events for their members on a regular basis.

The IKAA network reaches out to thousands of adoptees worldwide, serving as an invaluable resource for adoptees raised outside of Korea, for the exchange of ideas and information between adoptees, and for building bridges between Korea and our respective adoptive countries.

****NOTICE****
Now that the IKAA Gathering 2007 has taken place, this group will only add as new members those people who were registered Gathering 2007 attendees. To join the group, please send your full name to the group moderator. (Your name will not be used for any purposes other than to verify that you attended the Gathering by checking the Gathering 2007 registration records.)

For a more active online community of Gathering attendees, please go to the official IKAA online community at http://ikaa.org/en/page/294 or join the Facebook group, "I was at the IKAA Gathering 2007 Seoul, Korea."