SEOUL--The appointment of Korean-born Fleur Pellerin as minister of digital economy under France’s new president, Francois Hollande, was feted by the media here.
Pellerin, 38, was adopted by a French couple as an infant. She had an elite education in France.
The Hankyoreh, a South Korean daily, called her appointment a “symbol of a leftist government, which values diversity and generosity.”
Dong-A Ilbo, another leading daily, said it hoped she will serve as a bridge between South Korea and France.
Pellerin's Korean name is Kim Jong-suk. She was born in Seoul in 1973.
The following year, she left for France after she was adopted by a French couple.
She graduated from Ecole Nationale d’Administration, an elite graduate school for public service, before landing a position at the prestigious Cour des Comptes (the Court of Auditors).
Pellerin's childhood experience is by no means unique. After the 1950-53 Korean War, some 160,000 South Korean children were adopted by couples overseas.
Even today, due to financial and other problems, some 1,000 South Korean children end up overseas after being adopted.
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