[Korea] Good News Corps Festival, ‘Feel Yourself Grow Younger as You Watch!’

The best way to mustering youth as energy

On the 28th of February at the Seoul Olympic Park Handball Stadium, at 3pm and 7pm, there were two performances. Ten thousands seats were filled. Some spectators stood in the back as there were not enough seats. The people who had attended the Good News Corps Festival in Seoul were asked about what they thought about this year’s event.

On this day, former Prime Minister Soo Sung Lee delivered a congratulatory message saying, “This place is a very good place. I believe that to teach the youths well is the only way to making the world happy. A life upright and helping others is the most valuable life. Though this world is tough, there is hope because of all of you. Thank you, all 412 volunteers of 14th class for returning home safely. You are all such precious beings. I hope you continue to live life with a heart like now.”

Words of encouragement followed from Congressman Yong Tae Kim saying, “Our Good News Corps Volunteers, what you have done for the past year was a pretty hard, dirty, smelly, and even payless job but what you’ve done has cleaned one corner of this earth — like a smiling cleaner. You’ve done a wonderful job. I was surprised. Although it seemed as though you have volunteered for others, this is actually what saved you and perhaps done all for yourselves. That is what made you work for others again and bless another country. Good thoughts and good deeds are said to benefit others. I hope you live the year 2016 doing good and benefiting others. Good News Corps Volunteers, cheers!”

“The dance, ‘La Ola’ means ‘each and every activity of the Good News Corps volunteers merge to cover Latin America with hope’ as small rivulets merge to create the great Amazon River. This year’s dance music was a different style from the ones before so it was unfamiliar but I liked it. It was actually very difficult to find this music file. At first, I thought I would be able to find it easily but I later found out that this track was not recorded commercially but as background music for an advertisement from the Coca-Cola Company. When I first contacted the company they said, “This is not for commercial use and we cannot sell it. If you want it, then you must pay 2500 dollars for it,” requiring a big sum from us college students. Then they called back and said that they could not give us the music even if we paid that sum. In the end, Branch Manager Jae Hoon Shin in Mexico visited the company in person and negotiated with them and gave us the WAV file from the company.” -14th Class Panama Volunteer Kang Eun Hong

“The China team performance members were over way over 50 people. Having more people than other teams, it wasn’t easy to join hearts as one. The team leader saw us only dance with no whole-heartedness to make a sincere stage and once said that he will quit. Through this incident, we were able to grasp what heart we should dance with. When the team leader’s heart flowed into us, I could feel that heart made us one.” -14th Class Jamaica Volunteer Jin Ju Lim

Pastor Ock Soo Park spoke about the heart changing from misery to happiness as he told the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke chapter 15 to the audience. “Jesus has always done the work of moving our hearts from despair to hope. And amazingly, we can see our circumstances and body following along and living in hope. Though the body can be locked up in prison, the heart cannot be locked up. Though the body can be ill, the heart can choose not to be hurt. Even if you are in despair, if you heart goes in search of happiness and meets with it, your life will brighten up.“

At this year’s Seoul performance, several ambassadors of different nations were invited and enjoyed the students’ performance. Ambassador of Paraguay, Ambassador of Myanmar, Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire, Second Secretary of the Zambian Embassy etc. many diplomats attended to encourage the students.

After watching the performance, the Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire said, “I think this performance is very important. This is because the youths have united to prepare this. The youths are the future of tomorrow so I think this unison and preparation will brighten their future.”

The Second Secretary to the Embassy of Zambia commented, “I was deeply inspired at how they understood their lives and their hearts wherever they went. It’s not easy to understand people of other countries and their lives but it was absolutely wonderful that I could meet with students that have achieved this at such young age through the performance.”

Many came from press throughout both performances in Seoul to cover this news and the Good News Corps Overseas Volunteer activities were introduced through media report. The happiness and thankfulness of the volunteers were deeply embedded in the hearts of the Seoul citizens through the 14th class Good News Corps Festival.