New Neighbors, Old Friends A Long-Lost Friendship is Rekindled at The Covington in Aliso Viejo Life has a way of bringing treasures back to us in unexpected ways. A box of photographs rediscovered in the attic. An old ring unearthed in the garden. And occasionally, dear friends return to our lives. That is the story of two recently arrived Covington residents.
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ore than 70 years ago, Mr. Yung Mo Kim and Mrs. Yungwha Min were teenagers, growing up in Seoul, during the Korean war. Though they did not know each other, fate would bring them together. As the battle raged, civilians in the city were evacuated and Yung Mo and Yungwha ended up on the same truck, heading south to safety. Over the next few years as the war continued, they became friends, living in the same temporary housing neighborhood. In 1954 Yungwha came to the United States at just 18 years old to study at Mount Holyoke College on a full scholarship. Four years later, Yung Mo followed, but by then they had lost touch. For Yungwha Min, her new country meant new opportunities. She obtained an MA in Philosophy and an MS in Counseling and later worked as Director of the Career Center at College of Saint Rose, in Albany, NY. She also married Kongki Min, Physics professor, and raised two beautiful children; Katherine, a journalist and published author and Kollin, an environmental lawyer. After her children left for college themselves, Yungwha completely changed careers and became an International Banker. Yung Mo Kim arrived in America already holding a law degree from Korea. Wanting to continue his education, he obtained a Master’s in Public Administration from Syracuse University and an MA in Economics from Clark University. Then, under the Teaching Assistantship program, Yung Mo received a Ph.D. in Economics from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY). 6
Mr. Kim (left), Mrs. Min (right)
Some 15 years after graduating from Clark University, Yung Mo earned a JD degree in Law and opened a practice in Buffalo. Over his career, he was a Professor of Economics for 49 years and practiced law for 27 years, until he retired in 2017. As their professional careers were winding down, both Yungwha and Yung Mo began to consider what they wanted for the next stage of their lives. Yungwha came to know about The Covington through a friend. “I was impressed,” she says. “I like that it is a small, nonprofit community, compared to many larger places.” Yungwha and her husband moved in during the fall of 2021 and they appreciate both the dedicated staff and their new neighbors. One of her favorite spots on the campus is the Koi Pond. “The gardens and walking paths are beautiful, and I
love to sit by the pond and relax. It is very peaceful.” Last year, Yung Mo and his wife Boin, decided it was time to find a new home. They wanted to be near their son Richard, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai, and Betty, their daughter-in-law but were anxious about leaving their friends and life in Buffalo. Betty, a plastic surgeon, suggested they consider living in one of the nearby senior communities. The Kim’s daughter Sandra, an Attorney with a PHD in Neuroscience working at Pfizer came up with a list of nine communities to look at. “The Covington was the eighth one we visited,” Yung Mo says. In advance of their visit, Yung Mo learned from a mutual friend that Yungwha, who he had not seen since he left Korea, lived at The Covington with her husband. Yung Mo says he was excited and a bit nervous,