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Episode details

World Service,19 Jul 2025,26 mins

The mystery of the ‘tula boy’

The Fifth Floor

Available for over a year

In 1953, a South Korean child was smuggled into Colombia in a duffle bag, or ‘tula’ in Spanish. He was adopted and re-named Carlos Arturo Gallón, but he had questions about his identity that remained unanswered for over half a century. José Carlos Cueto from BBC Mundo reports. Plus, why a traditional Indian shoe found itself in the middle of a fashion controversy, with Janhavee Moole reporting for BBC Marathi. This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world. Presented by Faranak Amidi. Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson. This is an EcoAudio certified production. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

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