[Korea] The Festival of Youths Embracing the World Begins

At 7pm on the 20th of February, the 2016 14th Class Good News Corps Festival (Overseas Volunteers’ Homecoming Festival) begins at the Dongcheon Gymnasium in the city of Ulsan.

This concert was prepared by 400 Volunteers that spent last year abroad, exchanging their youths for their hearts and returned home in January this year. Many citizens of Ulsan filled the seats of the venue to see the ‘2016 Good News Corps Festival.’ The Good News Band that began the event with a beat of drums and joyfully energizing performance of ‘I am not alone.’ In response to the love of the audience from last year, the South Pacific cultural dance, ‘Pate Pate’ returned with an encore performance.

The fabulous stage of ‘Otrada(отра́да)’ that expresses the festival of joy was presented by the European dance team which returned in 2 years. The welcoming speech of the Congressman Young Cheol Park of the Ulsan Metropolitan Council followed. Congressman Gap Yun Jeong, Chief Editor Byeing Gil Kim of Ulsan Daily Newspaper, and President Chung Ho Lee of The Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organization of Korea Ulsan Union sent words of encouragement to the 14th Class Good News Corps Volunteers.

Congressman Young Cheol Park of the Ulsan Metropolitan Council specially presented 6 Good News Corps Volunteers with the Ulsan Daily Newspaper CEO certificate. The passionate performance of Latin America’s ‘La Ola’ as well as African team’s ‘Kumbatiana’ dance gifted eyes of happiness and excited the audience.

The end of the first half of the performance ended with the musical, ‘Roosevelt’ that expressed the strong mind of Roosevelt who overcame fear with faith. The beginning of the second half of the performance began with the festive dance of Southeast Asia, ‘Sabay Sabay.’ The story of Volunteer Yun Hee Seo who had volunteered in Malawi brought tears to the audience’s eyes. Also, the Chinese dance ‘Manjungilsim(萬重一心)’ expressing many people becoming one was performed and the true story of Volunteer Bo Min Kim of how she had changed finished the performance stage.

After all the performance ended in the second half, IYF Busan Branch Manager Young Joon Park delivered a congratulatory message. “Our useless students stayed one year volunteering abroad to become people the society needs. What changed them was the love of Jesus Christ. As a candle burns itself to make its surrounding bright and a rag dirties itself to make its surroundings clean, Jesus died on the cross to redeem our sins.

I hope that all of you become happy as you watch the performance of these students that embrace the love of Christ in their hearts.” Lastly, the chorus of the 14th class volunteers of the song, ‘Stars Strewn Across the Sky’ ended the evening event. After the performance was over, the audience each had a copy of the memoirs by the 14th class volunteers titled ‘Experience How Happy We Were!’

Beginning with Ulsan, the Good News Corps Festival is scheduled to spread its happy virus throughout Busan, Changwon, Jeonju, Gwangju, Wonju, Daejeon, Incheon, Seoul, and Daegu, ten cities.