Mother of viral Filipino-Korean police officer visits the Philippines for the first time

Following decades of searching which led to an emotional reunion with his Korean mother in 2024, Oh Jun Yeong, or Julius Manalo, finally got to show his "eomma" around Manila.

As seen in the latest episode of "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho," the Filipino-Korean, Tondo-raised police officer prepared a banner to welcome his mother, Oh Geum Nim, at the airport. He also brought a fan as a gift to help with the hot weather.

Julius and his mother shared a touching hug at the airport. During their interview, Geum Nim shared that she brought along radish kimchi, or kkakdugi, her son's favorite. Not only that, she also brought hanwoo, or premium Korean beef.

"Sa sobrang dami, nagbayad pa kami ng additional 20,000 won dahil nag-over baggage," she said through a translator.

["We even had to pay 20,000 won for exceeding the baggage limit."]

Julius's aunt and cousin also joined the visit.

For Julius, this was the "other half" of his story with his mother. The pair first reunited in South Korea; now it was time to get to know each other in the Philippines.

"And mabubuo na 'yung kung ano man 'yung nawala sa amin for 31 years," Julius said.

["And whatever was lost from us 31 years ago will be made whole."]

A tour to remember

Julius's mother shared that hearing him call her "Eomma" made it feel like they were still in Korea. Julius, meanwhile, said he chose to spend their time showing her the other half of his life—the things she had missed.

Julius wanted to show his mother his Filipino side, and what she could uniquely experience in the country.

The first spot they went to was Luneta Park to showcase Philippine culture and history. He also let his mother experience riding a kalesa.

Geum Nim said, "Nu'ng seven years old siya sa Korea, pumunta kami sa Seoul Land at sumakay din siya ng ganito pero mukhang 'di niya maalala."

["When he was seven years old and we were in Korea, we went to Seoul Land and rode something similar [to a kalesa], but it seems he doesn't remember."]

Following this, Julius brought his mom to the house where he grew up in Tondo, Manila. The police officer said he also kept the pencil sharpener given by his mom when he was a kid.

Seeing the area, Julius' mother was overwhelmed and was affected to see the environment her son grew up in. He explained that others have a different perspective because they focus on what he has.

"Sabi ko ang sa akin, normal lang. Hindi naman ako nagpapakita sa 'yo nu'n para saktan ka. Ipinakita ko 'yun kasi gusto ko alam mo kung ano 'yung na-miss mo, o 'yung Julius na nagpunta ng Pilipinas," he said.

["For me, that's normal. I'm not showing this to hurt you. I'm only showing this so you know what you missed– the Julius who went to the Philippines."]

Geum Nim said it hurt her feelings to see how her son lived.

She tearfully shared that she's here because her son wanted her to, but it's really overwhelming for her. She didn't know about those things and even sent money to his father for him to go to college, believing he was living well.

Despite his experiences, Julius never wished to grow up in Korea. He shared a quote about perspective, emphasizing that instead of feeling jealous, we should recognize that there are others in worse situations.

Julius also showed his mother to his elementary school and his alma mater, the Philippine College of Criminology. He showed photos from when he was a basketball scholar.

Geum Nim expressed feeling happy and proud of Julius, despite some mixed emotions. She's grateful that he turned out to be a good man, especially given the tough environment he grew up in.

As part of their tour, Julius brought his mother to the church where he got married.

Julius shared that his stepmom couldn't escort him down the aisle due to some beliefs, so his brother's mother-in-law stepped in. He wanted to recreate this moment with his eomma, humming his wedding song as he walked down the aisle.

Julius was shocked to see his mother crying, "because she knew that she was supposed to be there."

Geum Nim said, "I felt bad because I wasn't there. I felt sorry because he really wanted to walk together. When he got married, his wife told me that he cried a lot. I'm really sorry."

"KMJS" then gave Julius a belated birthday celebration with his mother complete with a Pinoy salo-salo.

Julius said that he and his mother talked, and Geum Nim said she felt sad every year because she was unable to greet him. Julius likewise did not like celebrating his birthdays.

Julius understands his mother's guilt, and keeps assuring her that he is a good man despite his past.

Seeing firsthand what Julius had gone through in different stages of his life, Geum Nim said, "I am proud that my son grew up excellently."

The long-awaited reunion

Geum Nim said that she remembers every memory with Julius and keeps these close to her heart.

She recalled everything from his birth to when he lived with her, remembering the things he liked, his torn clothes, and even when he lost his bicycle.

"And sometimes when he appears in my dreams, the kid is always big but his face is still that of a baby. I miss him more."

Geum Nim shared that her sister-in-law gave Julius a necklace with a message, but she thought he resented her when he didn't visit.

Even after that, Geum Nim held on to the hope that she would see her son again.

Then when a friend told her that Julius was searching for her, "I had no thoughts, my heart stopped."

Their viral reunion happened on the Korean TV show, "Mommy's Spring Day."

Geum Nim knew that it was Julius, her son, because of his looks.

Even after several years, Geum Nim is still in disbelief that she was able to reunite with her son.

She also said that she was determined to keep a strong mindset so that if he ever looked for her one day, she'd be able to say, "I never forgot about you."

At present, Geum Nim runs a restaurant in Korea with her friend and works as a cook.

Julius, meanwhile, is grateful to finally experience his mother's food.

"Ibang-iba po talaga. Lalo sa restaurant siya nagtatrabaho so alam niya kung masarap ang kimchi o hindi," he said. "Sobrang sarap."

["It's really different. Especially since she works at a restaurant, so she knows whether the kimchi is delicious or not. It's really delicious."]

Geum Nim said that the radish kimchi she brought for Julius has a lot of ingredients because it has a winter kimchi sauce.

"We make that around November or end of December, and you can eat that kimchi until spring. We make that kimchi all at once," she said.

During her stay, Julius said that Geum Nim had been recovering and slowly healing.

"Noong una, gusto ko na talaga bumalik, pero ngayon ayoko na umalis," Geum Nim said.

["At first, I really wanted to go back, but now I don't want to leave."]

She also learned some Tagalog words like masarap, mahal kita, maganda, and kumusta ka.

The family also traveled to Zambales, where Geum Nim enjoyed the sunset. Julius said there was a special meaning behind their trip.

"Kahit na alam kong matatapos na 'yung pagsasama namin dito sa Pilipinas, maganda pa rin naman 'yung maiiwan sa aking alaala, na lahat ng nangyari. And siguradong hindi lang 'to 'yung una. Marami pang darating na ganito," he said.

["Even though I know that our time together here in the Philippines is coming to an end, the memories left behind are still beautiful. And I know this won't be the last. There will be many more moments like this to come."]

Julius said that he forgave his mother a long time ago and has already healed, even though she still apologizes. He often reassures her that he became strong because of this.

Other than that, Julius takes pride in how their story became an inspiration for those who are searching for their family.

—JCB, GMA Integrated News