South Korea’s Economic News Agency _ NSP Agency
IYF Chief Advisor Pastor Ock Soo Park, will visit Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo from the 8th to 18th… “IYF’s Character Education will change the world.”
IYF Chief Advisor Pastor Ock Soo Park(left) and NSP Agency announcer Min Young Yoon having an interview.
[Min Young Yoon] Greetings. I’m announcer Min Young Yoon for “NSP Guest Invite.” For our first program today, we have invited Chief Advisor of IYF, Pastor Ock Soo Park. Nice to meet you pastor. [Ock Soo Park]
[Ock Soo Park] Hello ma’am. Nice to meet you.
It is my first time seeing you outside a screen, and you look a lot younger than I imagined.
[Ock Soo Park] Thank you. I’m actually not that young, but you have viewed me generously.
[Min Young Yoon] Not at all. It seems as if all the activities you have conducted for students have been the secret to your youth.
[Ock Soo Park] I forget about aging when I spend time with the youth. It is because they are so pure and bright. It makes me happy.
[Min Young Yoon] This organization called IYF in which youth and university students are participating in; what kind of an organization is it exactly?
[Ock Soo Park] IYF is an organization established in 2001. It is a youth organization and has become the world’s largest youth organization. In 2001 I met a drug-addicted American student and spoke with him, and his change became the catalyst for us to start this program.
[Min Young Yoon} Yes, I undersand.
[Ock Soo Park] That student stayed in South Korea for 6 months and then returned, and he truly changed. Therefore in 2001 for the first time we established an organization called IYF, and began to teach students about the world of the heart, and enabled them to share their hearts with one another. It was so amazing to observe how the problems of their heart were solved and how the students began to change. That is how it has grown to become this large.
Pastor Ock Soo Park with African youth attending IYF World Camp. (Photo by Good News Corps)
[Min Young Yoon] IYF also has active people-to-people diplomatic activities. Thus, we have heard that many Presidents, Ministers and Vice-Chancellors are also interested in IYF’s education method. Please do inform us on this matter as well.
[Ock Soo Park] We cannot enter a country for the first time and carry out our task without the help of the respective government. Our country does not have a Ministry of Youth, however in Africa there are many youth and so the Ministry of Youth holds a strong influence. Many Youth Directors and Managers provide us with help. They also observe how students change. After seeing such changes, Ministers began to visit, and so every year when we hosted a World Camp at Busan Bexco, Ministers arrived and were shocked with what they saw. They were so surprised and said, “We have tried to lead students with the law until now, however, you lead students through the heart here.” When they reported to their President, many Presidents invited me and wanted to meet me and cooperate with us. By forming such relationships, we are now receiving support from many governments for the work we do.
[Min Young Yoon] It really is a worthwhile work. Recently, we heard that your meeting with the Ministers and Prime Ministers of Swaziland made local headlines as well. Please do tell us more on this matter.
[Ock Soo Park] A Minister from Swaziland came to the Summer IYF World Camp last year. While observing the IYF, he observed the students in detail during the first session, second session, and could eventually see with his eyes how the students were changing in attitude and all other aspects. He was totally surprised. Therefore he reported to the Prime Minister, and since his country is a kingdom, he even reported to the king and then invited me in order to discuss how the IYF can educate all students in Swaziland. Therefore I went and I met the Minister from Swaziland, the Prime Minister and discussed with the Minister of Education and concluded to provide all teachers in Swaziland with mind education.
Afterwards, we decided to educate students and so that evening as a sample we gathered 350 elite university students, parliament members, ministers, and I presented a lecture. That day I convinced them significantly. And so we decided to educate them for one year, and then depending on how the students changed we decided to discuss in further detail during the second year. The current process is quite interesting and great. Last year in the Philippines, 16,000 middle and high school principals were trained during IYF Camp’s 3 days and 2 nights course.
Therefore I believe that we will soon become fully responsible for Character Education training in the Philippines.
Swaziland Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini
(1st on left) meeting with Pastor Ock Soo Park(2nd on left). (Photo by Good News Corps)
[Min Young Yoon] You have recently received a personally hand-written letter from the President of Benin; what sort of outcomes are you expecting from your organization’s cooperation with the Beninese government?
[Ock Soo Park} There is so much work for us to do in Benin. The President has about 1 year left on his term, and so he sent his envoy in order to enable the IYF to work systematically within a year. His envoy brought a personally hand-written letter which first stated that the government would donate a 99,000 square meter land located in the city center and close to a major road. I viewed the land via a map and it really is a good land. He allowed us to construct a building on the land. We also established a broadcasting station in Kenya, and so a television broadcasting station in Benin said they would allow their station to do digital broadcasting and promised to help us with the broadcasting. Most importantly, was the fact that he requested for IYF to be responsible for the character education of all university, highschool, and middle school students in Benin. As of now, we firmly believe that within 20 years IYF will lead the world.
That is why if the President of Benin gives the responsibility over to us, I have no doubt that in the next 10 to 20 years, Benin shall be the most fore front country in the world. Therefore I plan to work with patience. I have been invited to attend the ground breaking ceremony which will be held on the 9th and 10th of March, and then the President will arrive on the 11th to have an overall discussion with us. Benin shall become a great country.
[Min Young Yoon] From March 8th to the 18th, you are going to Africa.
[Ock Soo Park] I have been invited by the President of Benin, and during that period I also plan to visit neighboring countries Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana and that is why I chose this time period.
[Min Young Yoon] It’s going to be a long travel, I hope you take good care of your health.
[Ock Soo Park] Nowadays I enjoy flying by airplane. It’s also not that long of a journey.
[Min Young Yoon] While listening to your words pastor, you said that what is important for students is not knowledge, but is character. Please give a word of advice to the youth who will lead this country and the world.
[Ock Soo Park] When one’s heart meets another person’s heart one becomes happy. The next important aspect is experiencing the taste of another person’s heart and understanding their heart. Then you will gain that person’s heart. When doing business or educating, it is important to gain the other person’s heart. In order to gain a person’s heart, it is important to interact with them with your heart. Then even though you are not good at studying, not smart; but people around you will become happy and blessed. If this is not done, it will even cause married couples to become enemies towards each other. It will cause father and son to become enemies, and that is why it is so important to meet people through the heart. Then you will be able to believe those around you and will possess a happy and healthy mind. I truly hope you will become like this. Thank you.
[Min Young Yoon] If it is as you speak, I truly hope that the youth will be greatly responsible for the future of this country through the IYF. Thank you for giving us your time.
[Filming] Reporter Hyung Sung Moon & Reporter Nam Sun Do
[Editing] Reporter Sang Gyun Kim
Good News Corp Medical Volunteers at work. (Photo by Good News Corps)
yoong_jn@nspna.com, Reporter Min Young Yoon(NSP Agency)
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