Hyun Sook Han

Mrs. Hyun Sook Han (6/15/1938-11/5/2021) was born in Seoul, Korea, the eldest of seven children during the Japanese colonization. She was twelve when the Korean War (1950-1953) broke out, and she became responsible for evacuating her younger siblings and their pregnant mother south. Having witnessed family separation, loss, and violence during this turbulent period, Mrs. Han decided to study social work at Ewha Women’s University and devoted her life and career to placing children orphaned by the war with families both in Korea and in the United States.

Mrs. Han along with her family immigrated to St. Paul in 1975. She worked as an international adoptions social worker at the Children’s Home Society & Family Services (CHSFS), where she facilitated the placement of more than 13,000 Korean orphans until her retirement. She received numerous awards for her dedicated work, including the Civil Merit Award in 1986 from the President of Korea; the Proclamation of Hyun Sook Han day on May 7, 1989 by Rudy Perpich, the former governor of MN; the Friend of Children Award in 2003 from the NACAC (North American Council on Adoptable Children); and in 2007 the Congressional Angels in Adoption Medal.

After her retirement in 2004, Mrs. Han served on the board of CHSFS, consulted extensively in India to promote medical care for orphans as well as establish foster care and domestic adoption in the country. She also served as the president of the Korean American Association of Minnesota (KAAM) and continued active participation in her Church, The Heaven Evangelical Church of MN.

She is survived by her daughter, Shinhee Han, Shinhee’s partner Scott Cushman and their son Sean, as well as her son Mike Han, Mike’s partner Rochelle Bayers, and his children Alex, Aaron, Austin. She is also survived by her sister Hyun Yoon Shim, Hyun Yoon’s husband Sung Kwan Hong, and their children Thomas, Will, Chris and their extended families, in addition to thousands of Korean adoptees and their families.

Mrs. Han will remain forever in our hearts as a mother, sister, grandmother, friend, as well as a trailblazer, innovator and fierce advocate of children.

Charitable Contributions can be made to Mrs. Han’s endowment at chlss.org/donate

An evening visitation for Hyun Sook will be held Monday, November 15, 2021 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Sunset Funeral Chapel, 2250 St. Anthony Boulevard NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Sunset Funeral Chapel.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sunsetfuneralservices.com for the Han family.