The Rev. Kang Kook Ro has been all over the United States. The mission of his Christian work has always been the same: Give Koreans a sense of place.

Five years ago, he moved his mission from California to New Mexico and now leads services in Los Alamos and in Santa Fe. On a recent Sunday, 15 adults attended the Korean service at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe. Children sat quietly. The hymns, accompanied with musical notes from a piano and violin, added harmony to the serene atmosphere.

"It's important that Koreans come to Korean service, but they go to American churches," Ro said in an interview before the holy celebration. "It's important for them to come, to connect and interact with other Koreans."

Plus, the pastor said, having a connection with their roots is important for finding balance in life.

Adults in the congregation agree. So does his son, James Ro, who was 5 years old when his father, mother and 3-year-old brother left Korea and landed in New York City. Growing up in the Western world made it easy to adapt and forget Korea, the language and its culture, said James Ro, 27. When he attended Ohio State University, he met other Koreans and realized he had been missing something. Since then, he's been watching more Korean television, listening to K-pop and traveling to Korea to learn more about the language and culture.

"We don't exactly fit into American society, but it's important to find out more because it defines who you are. I define myself as Korean American," said James Ro, who lives in Los Alamos. Many Koreans in Los Alamos are scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In Santa Fe, many are restaurant and liquor-store owners, and in Albuquerque many operate gas stations.

"Koreans are everywhere, even at San Juan Pueblo," Kang Kook Ro said, referring to the pueblo now called Ohkay Owingeh. He said some Koreans have married into Pueblo families. He estimates the Korean population in Northern New Mexico, including Albuquerque, is close to 2,000.

Yong Jo and his wife, Myong Jo, owners of Liquor Barn off Cerrillos Road, said they have made New Mexico their second home. When they left Korea, they settled in San Diego and moved to Pojoaque 16 years ago. Later, they purchased Liquor Barn in Santa Fe.

The couple helped organize local Koreans to establish a church. They had their first Korean service Nov. 2, 1997.

Their daughter, Young Lee, 38, helps run the business while her two daughters, ages 6 and 9, are at school. Lee said the girls attend Piñon Elementary School and are growing up in a bilingual household.

Life in Pojoaque and Santa Fe has presented many challenges. The toughest of all was showing Native Americans that they were coming in peace, Lee said. "I think they thought we wanted to take over their community. But in less than a year, we became good friends."

Now Hispanics in Santa Fe are impressed that all the members of the Korean family can speak Spanish.

"That's because we had a store near Tijuana, so we learned some Spanish," Lee said. "People are now used to seeing an 'Oriental' behind the counter. I tell them, 'I'm the new Mexican.' "