Kelly’s Expanding Global Village Narrows the Cultural Divide

Written by Karina Prananto

Photographs courtesy of Kelly Palmer Kim and the Global Families of Gwangju

Kelly Palmer Kim’s life always revolves around community and family. She first came to Korea in 2000 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She described her reason for coming to Korea as wanting to “seek new adventures” – and real adventures are really what she got! Here Kelly met her Korean husband, whom she married in 2003 and has since became the mother of three boys, two of whom are twins.

Raising three boys in Korea, Kelly was reminded of her experiences growing up in Canada, so she hoped her sons could also share some of her childhood experiences while in Korea. After meeting Jeff Hamilton, she co-founded the Global Families of Gwangju (GFOG) in 2007 when she started working at Chosun University. Through this group, Kelly hoped to provide a cultural exchange through activities among the many multinational families in Gwangju. Back then, there were not many family-oriented events with a Western cultural background, except for Christmas, so they organized fall and spring events as a chance for these families to meet and have fun. These events have always proven popular and are growing annually, attracting not only multicultural families, but Korean families as well.

Kelly and Jeff organize everything from start to finish. As the number of multicultural families in Gwangju grows, more people attend the events they organize, especially on Halloween. Kelly said she does not have any special method for promoting the events. Kelly stated, “I think word-of-mouth promotion is the best way. Once, we had 400 children come to the Halloween party. There were lots of kids! At our events, we also sell food and drinks, and through these sales, we can keep organizing these kinds of events.”

Kelly admits that organizing the events is a lot of work. “Although we always love having many people come, we also hope to have people who can come and help volunteer for the games and activities with kids. I’m so happy that my co-workers and friends in the community help donate their time and enthusiasm to help make our events enjoyable for families in Gwangju.”

Volunteering can be done in many ways, including decorating, playing, and assisting with the games. Last year, we had the very first Korean family volunteers. They decorated their car like one of the sharks from “Baby Shark.” The decorations were awesome, and they had lots of fun with kids trick-or-treating. I hope we have more of these kinds of volunteers in the future.”

The GFOG’s next event will take place on April 14, just in time for Easter, at Pungam Sports Park in Seo-gu, their annual event ground. “It’s an open event with no preregistration needed, and it’s free. Everyone is welcome!”

While talking with her, I could imagine how busy her life must be every day. “I wake up at 6:00 a.m., sometimes at 5:30 a.m., to exercise before going to my office at Chosun University. My boys usually come home around 7:00 p.m., and before then, I can study for my thesis. I always try to find time for my boys.”

Although Kelly’s schedule is busy, she said she always spends time with her children on weekends. “In summer, we just put everything we need in the back of the car and go to the beach every week. We lay down the mat and play in the sand. Even in wintertime, I’ll take them to the park, where we’ll play ball. Activities with kids don’t have to be expensive. Just be there for them and listen to them. It’ll be more worthwhile.”

Aside from GFOG, Kelly is also busy with the Gwangju Performance Project (GPP), where she has served as treasurer and is the new vice-president. She does not act on stage, but she does help with the producing and financing. For the GPP’s latest work, The Wiz, she helped sell tickets. She loves meeting new people, including those whom she has only been in contact with through emails. “Our next project for the GPP is Cabaret, an annual event to be held in April. It’ll be an awesome two-hour performance. We’ll sell food and drinks, and there will be singing and dancing. It’ll be a perfect opportunity to raise money to make more productions in the future. I’ll also be on stage!”

Kelly mentioned that life in Gwangju is great. “Although I miss life in Canada, where there are sports teams for kids, there are not many here yet. But the government here has always been supportive of those with kids. My kids go to an after-school children’s center where they learn many things, including dancing. It boosts their confidence.” When asked about any tips for expat parents and multicultural families, Kelly said she has no special advice. “Be with them, listen, and play with them.” And what great advice that is!

The Author

Karina is from Jakarta, Indonesia and has been living in Gwangju since 2006. Her joy in life is her son, who is now on his toddler year. She loves traveling around Korea and Jeollanam-do in particular, with her family and is always looking forward to Saturdays.