‘Ayla’ Kim Eunja passes away at 80
ISTANBUL
Kim Eunja, the Korean woman whose touching wartime bond with a Turkish soldier inspired the film “Ayla,” has passed away at the age of 80.
Her life story, born from the chaos of the Korean War (1950-1953), became a symbol of friendship between Türkiye and South Korea.
According to a written statement from the Turkish Embassy in Seoul, Kim died on May 12 after a recent bout of pneumonia.
She had been living in the city of Incheon near Seoul, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. After contracting COVID-19 in 2022, she had been receiving care at the Songdo Hana Hospital under the support of the South Korean Patriots and Veterans Affairs Ministry. She had also been battling dementia in recent years.
Kim’s life changed forever during the Korean War when she was found orphaned and alone by Turkish Sergeant Süleyman Dilbirliği. He named her “Ayla” after the moonlight under which he found her and cared for her like a daughter during his deployment. Their separation at the end of the war was heartbreaking, but decades later, they reunited.
Türkiye joined the Korean War under the United Nations Command to support South Korea against North Korean aggression. Beyond military commitment, Türkiye’s involvement was also strategic. As the Cold War intensified, Ankara sought to solidify its position in the Western bloc. Its contribution to the war — sending nearly 15,000 troops — played a crucial role in its accession to NATO in 1952.
The extraordinary story of Kim and Dilbirliği was immortalized in the film “Ayla: The Daughter of War,” released in 2017. The film resonated deeply with Turkish audiences, becoming a box office success and Türkiye’s official submission to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film.
Dilbirliği passed away in 2017, just months before the film’s release. Kim, who never forgot her “Turkish father,” remained emotionally connected to Türkiye throughout her life.
She was often visited by embassy officials and had met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2018. Following her death, Turkish Ambassador to Seoul Murat Tamer visited her family to offer condolences.
