Started with a 1976 meeting with the late Choi Gwi-dong; grew into a welfare community embracing the homeless, the elderly, and the disabled; commemorative event to be held at Kkotdongne in Eumseong on the 8th.
The Kkotdongne Foundation (hereinafter "Kkotdongne"), which began with a meeting on September 12, 1976, between Father Oh Woong-jin (John the Apostle; Brothers of Kkotdongne of Jesus) and the late Choi Gwi-dong (birth name Gyeong-rak; Peter), is marking its 50th anniversary. Over the past five decades, Kkotdongne has stood as a friend to the poor and marginalized, dreaming of a world where "not a single person is cast aside." We share the story of the "miracle of love" created by humble hearts—tracing the journey of Kkotdongne from its inception to the present day—along with a message from its founder, Father Oh Woong-jin.
Marking its 50th anniversary this year, the Kkotdongne Foundation has cared for the poor since its establishment on September 12, 1976, striving to create a world where no one is abandoned. Pictured are founder Father Oh Woong-jin (right) and the late Choi Gwi-dong. Catholic Times archive photo
A Miracle That Began with 1,300 Won
After being ordained as a priest in May 1976, Father Oh was assigned to the Mugeuk Parish (now the Mugeuk Outstation of Geumwang Parish) in Eumseong, within the Diocese of Cheongju. On September 12 of that same year, he encountered an elderly man passing by the church. The man, who was walking with a limp, was Grandpa Choi Gwi-dong.
Curious, Father Oh followed him and witnessed Grandpa Choi sharing food—begged from others—with beggars inside a makeshift shack at the foot of Yongdamsan Mountain. Despite his own disability, Grandpa Choi had been caring for 18 beggars—people in even more dire straits than himself—for over 40 years.
That night, Father Oh realized that "even having the strength to beg for food is a grace from the Lord." The next day, he used his entire fortune of 1,300 won to buy cement and began making bricks. His goal was to build a home where those with nowhere else to turn could stay.
The house, completed with the help of parishioners, was named the "House of Love." Following a blessing ceremony on November 15, 1976, Grandpa Choi and the beggars moved into their new home. This act of love, born from one person's humble charity, became the seed that would eventually grow into the community known as Kkotdongne.
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