🇹🇳🇰🇷 아일라 Ayla: The Daughter of War 2017 (BASED ON TRUE STORY, Eng sub)

Ayla: The Daughter of War (2017) is based on a true story. It’s a dramatized but largely faithful retelling of real events involving a Turkish soldier and a young Korean girl during the Korean War (1950–1953). What Really Happened The movie is inspired by the real-life story of Sergeant Süleyman Dilbirliği and a Korean orphan girl he found on the battlefield. During the Korean War, Turkish troops were sent as part of the United Nations Command. While stationed there, Süleyman discovered a young girl who had lost her family and took care of her. He named her “Ayla,” meaning the halo or light around the moon, because he found her under moonlight. The girl lived with him and the Turkish soldiers for over a year, becoming beloved by all. Separation and Reunion When the Turkish Brigade was ordered to return home, Süleyman was unable to take Ayla with him due to Korean and international adoption laws at the time. They were separated at a train station with a heartbreaking farewell. Decades later, in the 2010s, journalists and veterans helped coordinate a reunion between the now-adult Ayla (her real name is Kim Eun-ja) and Süleyman. Photos and accounts of their emotional meeting in Ankara exist. Film vs Real Life The movie follows the core true story — the discovery of the girl, the bond formed in war, the forced separation, and the long separation afterward. As with many films based on true events, some dramatic elements are emphasized or romanticized for narrative impact, but the underlying story reflects real historical people and events.