Couples Together Again--for a While

When Moon Hyung Yang went looking for work in Los Angeles in 1982, his wife remained behind in Seoul, South Korea.

And when his temporary visa expired, he stayed here. Returning home would have meant permanent exclusion from this country under the immigration laws.

Yang wrote to his wife every week for six years, but it was not until last month that he learned they would be reunited for a 30-day period under a new immigration program approved in February by the State Department.

On Friday morning, Yang’s wife stepped into the international arrivals terminal at Los Angeles International Airport and fell into her husband’s arms to the sound of cheers from the crowd of Korean community officials and other well-wishers.

Came to L.A. in ‘70s

The scene was repeated 10 more times as women wearing the traditional satin hambok dress located their husbands, most of whom came to Los Angeles on temporary visas during the 1970s. In one case, the roles were reversed, as a woman working in this country welcomed her Korean husband.

The visiting spouse program, called the Family Reunion Project, was organized by a local Korean-language daily newspaper in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy. Two similar reunions occurred in New York earlier this year.

In order to comply with Immigration and Naturalization Service requirements, the visiting spouses must agree to return to Korea after one month, said Harold Ezell, INS Western regional commissioner. When the Koreans living in this country attain permanent resident status, as they have applied for under the INS amnesty program, they may then send for their family members to join them.

Ezell said that the Korean spouses who arrived today were never legally barred from entering this country but that they did not do so for fear of jeopardizing their relatives who lived here on expired visas.

“I spoke to one man who told me, ‘After today, I’m no longer afraid of federal officers,’ ” Ezell said.

Andrew Kim, media relations officer for the Korean Central Daily, said his newspaper contacted the U.S. Embassy last fall and submitted the names of 35 candidates from the Los Angeles area. Eventually, 11 were selected on the basis of interviews conducted by embassy officials. Kim said embassy officials were concerned about the economic stability of the families among other issues, Kim said.

“The feeling cannot be expressed in words,” Yang said as he hugged his wife, Young Ja Hur. “I have not slept in a week.” Yang, whose wife celebrates her 38th birthday today, said he will buy her a diamond ring to take back to Korea.

Hong Joo Yang last saw his wife, Soo Wul Hwang, for a three-week period in 1976. Before that, the two were separated for 10 years as he moved from Vietnam to Iran and eventually to the United States in search of business opportunities.

Hong Yang pressed his wife’s face against him and said, “I will show her all of Los Angeles. I will take her to Disneyland.”

Kenneth Kiemm, who chairs the Family Reunion Support Committee of the Korean-American Citizens League, said he believes the U.S. Embassy approved the visitation plan in an effort to improve the image of the United States in South Korea

“There has been a growth of anti-Americanism in Korea,” Kiemm said. “This may thaw the snow in the long run. Daily Korean papers will credit the American Embassy for this.”

Ezell said he is “very committed” to the Family Reunion Project and will encourage other ethnic groups to organize visits.