A heartbroken father from Washington state has made a plea to South Korean officials to return his seven-year-old son, who he claims was kidnapped by his mother nearly five years ago.
Dr. Jay Sung, 43, an orthodontist from Seattle, Washington, alleged that his estranged wife, Min Jung Cho, 42, kidnapped their son Bryan to South Korea and refused numerous court orders to return their child to the United States.
The alleged kidnapping occurred in 2019 after a judge allowed his ex to take their son to South Korea for a few weeks as part of divorce proceedings, even though he was the parent with legal custody.
The distraught father, who has been separated from his son for years and has not seen or spoken to him, said his native South Korea “did nothing to protect his son” despite the couple having dual citizenship.
Cho revoked her U.S. citizenship a year ago and had an arrest warrant issued for her that remains in effect as of April 2020, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
After the ordeal, Jay filed a petition in 2019 under the Hague Convention, which governs international child abductions.
He explained that although both courts ruled in his favor, a loophole in the law of the land is preventing him from getting his son back.
Dr. Jay Sung, 43, has not seen his son Bryan, now 7, since his mother, Min Jung Cho, allegedly kidnapped him when he was three years old to South Korea
Sung said his native South Korea “did nothing to protect his son.” He is pictured holding up a #BringBackBryan sign outside the Korean Consulate in Seattle
Sung's estranged wife, Min Jung Cho, 42, (pictured) allegedly took their young son to South Korea and has refused numerous court orders to return their child to the United States
Sung has spoken out about his case to get his son back and launched the campaign #BringBackBryan.
He stood outside the Korean consulate in protest, holding up a sign and demanding that the country help his cause.
The dentist told me Fox News digital that Korean courts have sided with him and his ex has exhausted her appeals, but a loophole in the country's law prevents law enforcement from forcibly seizing a child.
The boy further explained that Korean officials have refused to impose a court order for his son's release. Despite his ex being arrested twice and fined.
The dental doctor said his nightmare started five years ago, when Cho's A lawyer called him a day before his son was to leave South Korea and told him that his son would not return to the United States.
A missing person report was filed, but his son was eventually tracked down by South Korean police, who located the boy at his mother's grandmother's house.
At that point, officials told Sung that the matter should be resolved in civil court.
Dr. Sung and his son Bryan, pictured together when he was just a toddler
The father and son duo are seen backpacking along a wooded trail as the youngster laughs while holding a flower they picked
State, federal and local officials have attempted to assist Sung, including Congressman Kim Schrier, the State Department and the FBI.
“The Foreign Ministry has called on South Korea to engage in a “pattern of non-compliance” under the treaty due to the performance of the country's law enforcement agencies on court-ordered returns,” the news channel said.
According to the State Department's Action Report, the average time to resolve a child abduction in South Korea is just under three years.
Sung told the news station that some lawmakers in South Korea have acknowledged that their system is flawed. He said hearings have been held and the group has begun drafting reforms.