"My heart aches for these families"
Saemsori supporter Margaret MacLean, VP of Maclean-Fogg International

original in Korean; Korea Times Chicago 26 April 2006
http://www.koreatimes.com/article/articleview.asp?id=311052

Saemsori has found a strong ally in Margaret MacLean, vice-president of Maclean-Fogg International. Ms MacLean, who had previously managed international business affairs for the state of Illinois, first learned of Korean-American divided families in February in Washington DC while in town for meetings with congressional leaders. It was at Saemsori's opening ceremony that Ms. MacLean learned of this tragedy and was filled with sympathy.

At first, Ms. MacLean was shocked by this humanitarian tragedy. She could not comprehend that there were people in this world who lived with the uncertain grief of unseen relatives for over 50 years. Ms. MacLean said she was moved to tears by the story of Cha-hee Lee Stanfield, who last saw her father and brother when she was five years old. Ms. Stanfield is a local librarian at the Chicago Public Library.

Ms. MacLean said she could not imagine that in America, families like Ms. Stanfield's could be separated for 50 years with no hope of contact. Although she was not related to these families, and although North Korea was a remote country, Ms. MacLean was filled with compassion and said that there must be a way for these familes to be reunited. The US government may be entitled to pursue its own foreign policy, but it was unacceptable to allow this humanitarian tragedy to continue. She said she planned to help Saemsori's work in gathering stories of divided families and presenting them to the American government.

The MacLean-Fogg Company, headquartered in Illinois, is one of the world's top five manufacturers of automobile parts. In recent years, as South Korea's reputation in the manufacturing and automobile industries has grown, Ms. MacLean cultivated close business ties in South Korea. She has made numerous business trips to South Korea and grew to appreciate its culture. She spoke of her fondness for Korean foods like galbi, and her gratitude for the warmth of the Korean people. In addition to her business relationships with Korean businesses, MacLean found that she had developed a genuine humanitarian interest in Koreans as well.

Yoon-shik Bong, Reporter, Korea Times