The KAB team members are all volunteers and work for free to make the KAB association live, they are all honest and do not benefit from any advantage, each pays his membership fee.
Sarah Maréchal – KAB Public Relations
Sarah is born in Busan and was adopted in 1973 by a Belgian family.
Has Belgian-native older brother & sister.
Speaks French, English & Dutch.
Has 1 daughter (21 years old) & 1 son (18 years old)
Began studying fashion design then set her sights on studying library science at a college of higher education, and art history (contemporary art) at the University of Brussels.
Is an administrative assistant in a European institution in Brussels.
Her hobbies are painting, music, literature, cinema, sports and travelling.
Was in South Korea for the 1st time (Seoul and Busan) in April 2011 on the occasion of the annual International Conference of Korean Journalists, as a “special guest”.
Discovered Korean cinema and Kdramas (which she is a fan of!) on long-haul flights, and Korean food thanks to the Shilla and Korea Market stores and Hana & Itaewon restaurants that have opened in the European capital.
Playing the harp and learning the changgo (janggu), Korean drum, since a workshop was held at the Korean Cultural Center in March 2022.
Took Korean culture courses at IHECS and Korean in 2021 with the King Sejong Institute, and has been taking private lessons with Ran Choi since 2022.
Myriam Lefrancq – KAB Secretary
“I was born in Seoul in 1975 and arrived in Belgium when I was 15 months old.
I spent most of my childhood in the Dinant region and I now live in Brussels.
Trained as a jurist, I now work in the social security sector.
I was lucky enough to reunite with my biological family at the age of 30. I went to visit them in 2005 and 3 years later, my family came to Belgium for ten days. I thus found my two sisters, my two brothers and my dad (my mom having died when I was 2 months old).”
Ran Choi – KAB Public Relations (Korean)
Ran is KAB Public Relations (Korean), and is also Korean language teacher
Maryse Josse – KAB Event Manager
My Korean name is Hyun Ja Oh.
I arrived in Belgium on December 26, 1976, at the age of 5 and a half.
I was adopted into a Belgian-French family in Mons. It was only later, at the age of 51, that I started searching for my Korean roots. Perhaps it takes sufficient maturity to receive, accept, and forgive. At 52 years old (already!), I am in a relationship and have two daughters, aged 30 and 21. I work in the public service of Wallonia in project management.
I am happy to volunteer with the KAB group because I find a sense of belonging to a community there. It allows me to share my experiences as an adoptee and reconcile with Korea.
Helping other Koreans to go through the same journey has a deep meaning for me and helps me feel fulfilled.
Michael Cheung – KAB IT Manager
Michael is KAB IT Manager
Valérie Maquinay – Penningmeester KAB
Hello, my Korean name is Han Hyun-Mee. I was born in South Korea and found in Masan at the age of 2. At 2.5 years old, I was adopted by a Belgian family in the Liège region (Verviers).
I studied to become a primary school teacher, but since I couldn’t find work in my field, I pursued training in management-accountancy. After working in Vilvoorde and Brussels, I moved to Hainaut, and have been working as an assistant accountant for a non-profit organization near Mons for 14 years.
I have been in a relationship for 10 years and have two wonderful daughters, Amélie (19 years old) and Abigaël (15 years old).
I love traveling, cooking (especially Korean cuisine), knitting, crocheting, and watching K-dramas. My favorite actors are Lee Joon-Gi, Song Joong-Ki, Kim Soo-Hyun, and Ji Chang-Wook.
My first trip to Korea was in October 2022, and it was the most beautiful trip I have ever taken. For the first time in my life, I felt at home and was filled with incredible satisfaction as I walked through the various streets of the cities I visited. I had never felt so good in my entire life.
Since August 2023, I have been taking private Korean lessons with Ran.
I joined K-A-B to learn more about adoption, meet other adoptees, share, exchange, and be part of this community that is unique to us.