I moved from the US to Korea, where I planned to stay forever — then I had kids Derek Laan moved to Korea in his 20s, where he built his career and life. Provided by Derek Laan Derek Laan grew up in Minnesota and first went to Korea at 20 — he later moved there to teach English after college. In Seoul, he built a sales and marketing career, married, and had two sons. Now 39, Laan is weighing whether to stay in Korea or return to the US for his kids' education. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Derek Laan, 39, Senior Project Manager at Interlink. His words have been edited for length and clarity. When I was a little kid, my favorite book was "The Lorax." It's about someone chopping down all the trees. I grew up in Minnesota, and when I was 12, there was a big forest by my house where I'd go hiking and mountain biking. One day, they tore down half of it to build houses. I remember thinking: Why don't we all just live in apartments and share the forest?…