Close But Far— Gyodong Island

The Catholic Peace Weekly featured an article in the Christmas edition on Gyodong Island and the Peace Center headlined: "When will the wind of peace blowing in Gyodong Island reach North Korea?"

A view of Hwanghae-do, North Korea, as seen from the northern coast of Gyodong Island. A long line of white buildings stands out. "I envy the birds that freely travel between North and South Korea, unlike us humans who are blocked by barbed wire fences."

(隔江千里) This is a Chinese phrase that means although close together, as if there is a river in between them, it feels like they are a thousand miles away. This is a very familiar expression to the residents of Gyodong Island, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, the ‘island closest to North Korea’. This phrase also appears in the title of a poem written by the late grandmother Lee Beom-ok (Cecilia), a first-generation displaced person from the North. This poem deeply expresses her earnest longing for Yeonbaek-gun, Hwanghae-do, North Korea.

Yeonbaek-gun, which was south of the 38th parallel at the time of division, was the same living area as Gyodong Island until the Korean War. As the bombing intensified during the war, the residents of Yeonbaek-gun took refuge in Gyodong Island.  Their number reached 20,000, twice as many as the island's native population. However, after the armistice agreement, the western ceasefire line was established north of the 38th parallel, and refugees suddenly became unable to return to their hometowns. Quite a few people made Gyodong Island their new home. Most of them were skilled farmers who harvested crops from the Yeonbaek Plain, one of the most fertile areas on the Korean Peninsula. The displaced people worked hard to reclaim the wasteland on Gyodong Island in South Korea and turned it into fertile soil. Always harboring a longing for home.

Religious members of the Sisters of the Virgin Mary of the Martyrs stationed at the  ‘Reconciliation and Peace Center’ in Gyodong are  Apostles of Peace on the Island. 

Ahead of the Christmas feast of the Lord, the journalist visited Gyodong Island, where the joys and sorrows of the displaced people are everywhere. It must have been the Lord’s will that the Sisters of the Queen of Martyrs, with a mission to the north, established the ‘Reconciliation and Peace Center’ on this land.

The Reconciliation and Peace Center, whose goal is to make Gyodong Island a bridgehead for peace, started in 2019 in a 10-pyeong commercial building. Afterwards, land was received from the Diocese of Incheon, and a new building was built to which they moved in June of 2023.

The center explains the history of the island to those who visit Gyodong Island and provides education on reconciliation and peace. They are also religious guides, holding Bible reading classes for local residents. These are all efforts of the church in hopes of peace. On the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord, the center directors Sister Kang Min-ah (Mary John) and Sister Ko Seong-sun (Marie Michelle) wrote a Christmas card to people living in the North, but it should be said that it was closer to a prayer without a recipient. 

Gyodong-do peace activist Kim Young-ae (Therese, 67), representative of the ‘Our Nuri Peace Movement,’ said: "The nuns are encouraging the spirit of peace in Gyodong-do." As a second-generation displaced person Therese shares the same faith and dream and has helped the sisters to adjust to the island.

She said, “I am happy and grateful that the ‘Apostles of Peace’ have come to our 'Island of Peace'. I believe that the two nuns will make Gyo-dong an island full of blessings in the future through the peace and reconciliation movement.”

After seeing Therese off the two nuns and the journalist went visiting on Gyodong Island. The first place they stopped at was Daeryong Market, the center of Gyodong Island. It is a place created by displaced people from Yeonbaek-gun, modeled after the market in their hometown. It is a place like a ‘time machine’ that retains the appearance of the 1960s and 1970s, so many tourists visit it. The restaurant selling Hwanghae-do-style soup and cold noodles was crowded with customers.

The nuns of the Reconciliation and Peace Center were truly ‘popular stars’ in Daeryong Market. In every store we pass by, merchants say: “Sister, it’s been a while". 

The nuns, who had been walking diligently amidst a warm welcome, stopped in front of an old store. It is the oldest general store in Daeryong Market, operating since 1952. It was a useful place that sold daily necessities to refugees, but now it was selling fur hats, toothpaste, etc.

The owner, An Sun-mo (Maria, 92), is a first-generation displaced person. When she was 20, she fled from Yeonbaek-gun to Gyodong-do and ran her shop for 70 years, raising her son to become a doctor. Her small two-pyeong store with a fireplace on  Gyodong Island is a very familiar place on the island. She even refused her son's invitation to come to Seoul and live comfortably, she said. The journalist cautiously asked: “Don’t you want to go to your hometown?” The grandmother thought for a moment and then gave a short answer. "It’s good to go". In that fleeting moment, he could read the longing in the grandmother's eyes.

Another specialty of Daeryong Market is a musical  performance performed by local residents. The band name is KD, an abbreviation for ‘Gyo-dong’.  "We need to meet the band leader," He was none other than the Gyodong Mission Station vice president— Soon-bok Kwon (Joseph, 60),  a native of Gyodong-do for generations. He welcomed the unexpected guests and showed them the practice room he had built within the center. Music classes are also held here for seniors. At the year-end concert held at the Reconciliation and Peace Center on the 2nd, Mr. Kwon presented a wonderful performance. As the conversation continued, we learned something unexpected. He was the youngest person to serve as vice president of the mission station.

The origins of the mission station go back to a  religious community established by displaced people from Hwanghae Province as members of the  Ganghwa Parish in the Diocese of Incheon in 1958. Currently, it belongs to Hajeom Parish. The situation between North and South Korea brought pain, but it also brought forth the fruits of faith.

Many of his friends have passed away, and they don't have anyone to sing anymore. Not long ago, he went to the hospital with some elderly people and it was heartbreaking. He hopes all of our friends stay healthy for a long time. “That’s my Christmas wish.”

“It is a great tragedy that we, who are brothers and blood relatives, hate each other and look at each other with hatred. “I hope the day comes soon when we can see each other as brothers and sisters again.” (Sister Marie-Johanne Kang Min-ah)

“I hope that our people will no longer be hostile to each other, but will embrace the pain and achieve reconciliation and unity in the peace of the Lord.” (Sister Marie Michel Ko Seong-sun)

A Meditation on the Universe

In the Catholic Times a former journalist gives the readers a meditation on the heavens in the Eyes of the Believer Column.

"Asteroids are the key to unlocking the secrets of the origin and evolution of the solar system—Ancient astronomy thrown into the history of time— Science that shows as much as you know— The overwhelming feeling of deciding to become an astronomer— Hot and exciting— A universe full of news— All matter beyond the horizon sucked into its space— Astronomers wanting to spread their passion— Cosmic mega-structures that stimulate the imagination—" Although they are short phrases, they are enough to spark intellectual curiosity. They are quotes from eight young astronomers in "90 Days of the Universe," A Korean book by 8 astronomers on the universe, space, and cosmas which the columnist recently read.

"Scientific tools like the James Webb Space Telescope give astrophysicists the potential for new discoveries. We will be able to see how the universe continues to expand and change before our eyes. Above all, we are amazed by the vastness of the universe and the countless galaxies, stars, and planets that have been identified so far. In both science and philosophy, we can be tempted to get only the results we expect. But may you always be inspired by your love of truth and may you feel the wonder of all things through each piece of the universe."

This is a message that Pope Francis sent to young astronomers last June. They were participants in the Vatican Observatory's summer school, and the Pope's words resonated with the columnist as strongly as the book that excited him. In fact, it's been a couple of months since he posted any content on space-related media. We mainly reprocess foreign news articles, including those from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Since he is unfamiliar with the fields of astronomy and space, he relies on related books, news, and information. It is fun to learn about the vast universe that reveals itself and beckons.

How should we understand creation and evolution, theology and science, religion, and the universe? As he brings up the story of space, questions like these keep coming. First, it was clearly summarized by Pope Pius XII 73 years ago. "The Magisterium of the Church does not prohibit the study and discussion of human experience in the two fields of human science and sacred theology related to the theory of evolution." (See Encyclical Humanity, paragraph 36). Then, in 1996, Pope St. John Paul II stated: "Darwin’s theory of evolution does not contradict Catholic doctrine."

Science and faith are at odds over the 13.8 billion-year history of the origin of the universe. However, the church did not only insist on creationism but also accepted the theory of evolution, which reflected the achievements of science. It cannot be anything other than meaningful harmony. Several passages in the Bible mention celestial bodies. The psalmist praised it like this about 2,000 years ago. "I look up to your sky. The moon and the stars, which you have established firmly, the works of your fingers." (8:4-5) The prophet Isaiah also agrees. "Lift up your eyes and see. Who created the stars?" (40,26)

In short, faith is an area that cannot be revealed through experiments and proof, which are the frame of reference of science. Believers believe that the mystery of this world and the universe is God's creation. Science clearly has limitations and cannot be made absolute. The mission of scientists is to conduct research for a ‘better life’ for humanity. Wouldn’t the goal of faith and science be the pursuit of human happiness? Therefore, the two are not separate from each other but must move forward harmoniously like two wheels of a cart.

Another eventful year is drawing to a close. We who are busy and buried in our daily lives, let's lift our eyes for a moment and look at the sky. How beautiful are the bright stars in the night sky? What about the brilliant space show of the Aurora that decorates the North Pole? As astronomer Carl Sagan said, the Earth seen from space is nothing more than a ‘pale blue dot'. As people living on Earth, we must break away from being ‘frogs in a well’ and open our eyes to a wider world. Let us end extreme competition and war, save the earth, and be filled with love for God and our neighbors. In the coming new year, it is time to look at the universe and move forward with new hope.

-Freedom from Addiction

A professor in the Social Welfare Department of a Catholic University has an article in the Diagnosis of the Times column of the Catholic Peace Weekly on Addiction.

Alcohol addiction, drug addiction, gambling addiction, and Internet addiction are called the four major addictions. Unfortunately, the rate of the four major addictions in Korea is high compared to other countries. According to related statistics, the alcohol use disorder rate in Korea is 13.9% and the gambling addiction rate is 5.3%, much higher than in other countries.

In a survey conducted in Canada, Korea's smartphone dependence rate ranked 5th among the 24 countries that participated in the survey, and Korea was classified with severe smartphone addiction. 

The number of drug users is also steadily increasing. In recent years, the types of addiction have become increasingly diverse, and with the development of digital technology, dependence on digital devices is increasing, so the addiction problem is expected to become more serious in the future. In a recent survey, MZ generation social workers also predicted that addiction would become more prominent as a social problem in the future.

The problem of addiction is also expanding among youth. The current drinking rate for those who have consumed alcohol in the past month remains at the 16% level, the current smoking rate has been decreasing but has been increasing since 2016, and the smartphone overdependence rate is at 30%. The rate of youth with gambling problems is around 5%, which is higher than in other countries. According to data from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, among all drug offenders in 2021, the number of people reported under the age of 19 was 450, an increase of 43.8% compared to the previous year (313 people).

Addiction problems cause various social problems not only to individuals addicted to substances or behaviors, but also to families and society. It causes problems in all areas of society— family problems, divorce, child abuse, depression suicide, physical illness, unemployment, accidents and deaths,  increased medical expenses, etc.  According to government data, the annual socioeconomic cost of the four major addictions is 109.5 trillion won, which is much larger than the socioeconomic cost of other diseases. such as cancer (about 12 trillion won). Considering that Korea's 2022 budget is 600 trillion won, the socioeconomic costs of the four major addictions are very large.

 Although the addiction problem in our society is serious and the harmful effects of addiction are enormous, the efforts made to train addiction experts have been minimal. Addiction is a problem that arises from the interaction of various factors, including biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. Addiction experts must have comprehensive, specialized, and integrated knowledge and skills regarding addiction, including the complex reasons why people become addicted to substances and behaviors, various approaches to prevent and solve addiction problems, and the development of addiction policies. However, currently, only a small number of universities are operating related departments, which is insufficient to train addiction experts. It is time for universities to actively develop systematic and professional educational programs on addictions and nurture professionals in the field.

In addition, the state's responsibility for training addiction experts needs to be strengthened. Just as the Mental Health Welfare Act grants qualifications as mental health professionals to personnel with specialized knowledge and skills in the mental health field, it is necessary to introduce a national qualification system in the field of addiction. Although addiction is a category within the mental health field, it is a field that requires unique expertise and intervention techniques. 

If the country establishes qualification standards for addiction specialists and grants national certification to individuals who meet these standards, it will not only increase interest in addiction but also greatly contribute to enhancing the expertise of addiction specialists. We hope that the country will recognize the seriousness of the addiction problem prevalent in our society and strive to establish a system to train professionals who can contribute to the prevention and solution of the problem.

Advent, Christmas, New Year

In the Catholic Peace Weekly Peace Column, a Korean college professor teaching in the States gives us a meditation on Advent, Christmas, and the New Year.

Advent is the boundary between setting and rising. Only one page is left on the calendar, and the new year has already arrived in the liturgical calendar. We brace ourselves for a new beginning, we look back on the past year while waiting. It is natural to feel regret and sorrow because of things undone. Self-blame and regret keep us stuck in the past, and even the future is tailored to fit the wishes of the past. However, it is not only mistakes that are a problem for at times brilliant moments actually turn into snares. 

An appropriate word comes to mind to describe Advent— Liminality. This word means a state of transition in which the boundaries of time are broken down— derived from the Latin word ‘limen’, meaning threshold. This concept, elaborated by cultural and social anthropologist Victor Turner, refers to the ambiguity or loss of direction that occurs in the intermediate stage of a paradigm shift—a situation where the old is left and a new perspective is introduced.

The threshold is the boundary that separates the inside and outside of the house and between rooms. Liminality does not belong to any space, a threshold. A time when one experiences vulnerability for the sense of belonging and identity is left behind, a sacred time that must be passed to start something new.

Metaphors commonly used to express liminality in literary works include wilderness, exile, and the grave. It means having to face hardship, fear, loneliness and loss. It means you can meet a new you only after going through the symbolic ‘death’— letting go of your previous self. The occasion is grace disguised as coincidence. An event that breaks the law of time (Chronos) called continuity and introduces a new order (Kairos). Thus, an event in which my time meets God's time and the transition to a new me becomes possible. Therefore, grace is not just about repairing what is wrong. It is not about restoring the glorious past. It is an event where the order of life is overturned. It is an event where I see the world through God's eyes, not my eyes.

Grace is God's work. It's not something I decide to do. We must remember grace comes often when most vulnerable. Grace can also be difficult to accept because of its shabby and insignificant appearance. Like a baby in a manger. Like the wise men of the East who followed the star and stopped in a place for animals in Bethlehem, you must have a sense of direction different from that of the world to identify the places where grace enters. You bow your head and open your heart.

Being stuck in the past and not being able to accept grace is probably not just a personal problem. In groups, societies, and countries, most of the justification for conflicts and disputes comes from regret for what one does not have and cannot achieve, and obsession with the glorious past. From the distant Crusades to the recent Israel-Hamas war, look at how cruel and ruined human beings are by attachment and obsession.

The baby Jesus comes again in these troubled times as he did 2,000 years ago. Are we ready for him? Is there a manger in my heart for him to lie down and rest?

​

ASMR Helps In Life

In the 'We Are All One' column of the Catholic Times a professor introduces us to the ASMR—autonomous sensory meridian response; a phrase to describe a tingling or goosebumps sensation in response to certain audio or visual stimuli.

The professor reflects on what comes to mind when life comes to an end. When the flow of time stops he surmises that the most impressive scenes and sounds of our lives will come to mind. And at the same time, the events, places and people, relationships may appear and disappear in the background.

Perhaps we are trying to love our present life more, hoping that that moment will be a final consolation rather than a painful moment.

Sometimes he thinks of sounds that warm his heart like ASMR (sounds that provide psychological stability).

As a child, while in bed before sleep, he heard his parents putting cold rice and side dishes together and hearing them rubbing the rice with a spoon, putting rice in their mouths, and chatting while eating. It sounded so beautiful to him. Even though he was dozing, it was a time when an unknown sense of peace came over him. This sound is the archetypal ASMR he remembers and is also the sound he wants to hear in the last moments of life.

In the neighborhood where he lived as a child, various stores, such as a black bean noodle restaurant, a snack bar, a cosmetics retailer, a tailor shop, and a bicycle shop, were arranged in an ‘ㄴ’ shape along the main street, with a yard and a communal water supply in the middle. In addition, the houses were attached to the right in an ‘ㄱ’ shape, so the overall structure was a ‘ㅁ’ shape with shops and houses connected.

In those days, there were many children in each household, so the yard was always overflowing with children, and people took turns babysitting other families' children and often shared food with each other. 

When you go to a 'jjajangmyeon' restaurant early in the morning, you watch in amazement as the man puts dough into the machine and pulls out the noodles. When you go to a cosmetics store (which also sells imported products), the woman applies cream to your sore hands and mixes cocoa or skim milk powder with warm water. The bike guy sometimes took him around here and there and showed him a little bit of a wider world.

The scene at the time is similar to the works of photographer Kim Ki-chan (1938-2005), who had been capturing images of alleys, especially children in alleys (children who were poor but already living in heaven). 

These are memories and scenes he wants to see in the last moments of life.

Among those who have attempted suicide, some say that if they had had even a single happy picture or loving video engraved in their minds, they would not have gone to such extremes. Therefore, suicide attempters emphasize that basic suicide prevention is possible only when young children are not exposed to violence, receive love, recognition, and warm care, and can grow up properly.

It is also said that for young lives to grow well, the country, society, and community must prioritize helping young parents, who are direct caregivers. That's why young parents say that they should leave their children with a lot of positive ASMR images that can serve as a protective factor no matter what adversity they face as they grow up and come to the end of their lives. 

Working to Realize a Dream

The principal of a school for Korean Students in New Malden, London, England is trying in her own way to bridge the gap between the North and South. The school was established in 2016 mostly by North Koreans. Although many of the parents are from North Korea the students play, learn, and grow together regardless of where they came from, they are all Koreans. The Catholic Times in the North/South Reconciliation column gives the readers the principal's dreams for the school.

The neighbors communicate in chat rooms. There are 70 people tied up in an alley with about 80 houses, so almost all of them are communicating with each other. 

It happened in spring of 2020 when everyone was locked up at home due to COVID-19. It started with a young mother who handed out a message door to door asking: "If you are  isolated and elderly or  need help, let's take care of each other." Since neighbors are connected, there are many good things. They do grocery shopping for neighbors who are not able to move, exchange items that they don't use, and exchange necessary information and donate.

The principal's  husband sent a message to the food bank in the winter of the first year. Items piled up in front of the house. It was full of Christmas gifts for children, canned food and cereal. Some neighbors collected winter clothes for Ukrainian refugees, and others collected and delivered household items and clothes sent to women's shelters for victims of domestic violence. When a suggestion was offered somebody was there to respond.

The school is having a Christmas festival soon. She  was going to have a bazaar, but  didn't have enough items to sell. Her husband posted to the alley community. "Christmas Donation Suggestion: We accept donations of unused toys. We'll send them to the Christmas bazaar at the New Malden Hangeul School. The school is where the South and North Korean communities in New Malden learn Korean culture and language together. It operates in the spirit of reconciliation and peace that connects two divided societies. In a time when division and inconsistency are prevalent, it is truly precious that there is such a space for harmony and unity. We accept donations until Friday." He posted in the morning, and 20 toys came in that morning.

She looked back on her disappointment on seeing the loose solidarity, lack of a warm interchange, and shallow practice of the alley community. She hoped that the school, where children from South and North Korean families study together, would become a community of inter-Korean reconciliation and peace. She dreamed of a strong solidarity or a family-like relationship. She kept trying to realize this dream but it never was to be. 

However, loose solidarity and neighborhood relations may be enough. Live your own daily life, be kind to each other, help each other when you need help, and join us even if only casually if there is something to do together. It is precious to have a space to gather together in an era where division and inconsistency are prevalent.

Christmas feast. Children play cheerfully, and if there is a chance for the parents of the children to engage in conversation with each other even if awkwardly that is enough. She prays that the Lord will bless the time together.

Becoming a Healthy and Happy Believer

In 'Light of the World' the priest columnist of the Catholic Times gives us his ideas on being a healthy believer. 

Another year goes by and before you know it, as the clock of life ticks toward dusk, there are times, he wonders how much time he has left. How much time can we spend accepting someone and patting someone on the back? "How many days does he have left to love without being anxious or sad?" Taken from a Korean poem— 'How many days do I have left to love?'

"A glass of milk in the morning, fast food for lunch, looking at the hands of the clock like a person being chased… Everyone has the same face and extends their hand to shake, but they are all walking with different hearts. Where are we going without saying anything? People who are together but are lonely."

This song is called 'City People' by the late Shin Hae-cheol, released in 1992. Even though 30 years have passed he predicted this day accurately.

Even though the world has become more comfortable and affluent, we are always busy and lonely, and happiness is far away. Why is that so? There are many reasons, but there are also some universal factors. 

Although the world has become materially rich, we actually miss out on important values such as family, friends, community, spirituality, faith, service, sharing, caring for, and loving each other— the civilization of advanced modern society alone cannot fulfill human happiness. 

Pope Francis emphasized the role of Christians when he said: "If you want to proclaim the Gospel, you must stand on the streets" (General Audience, Wednesday, November 29, 2023). What is that role? God's children must frequently visit the places where their neighbors live, where they suffer, work, study, and think, to provide a place for encounter and conversation, and to embody the Gospel in their lives. This is an invitation to become healthy and happy believers.

Only then will the neighbors we meet experience the happiness God wants us to have. What must we do to become such a person of faith? What do you think the secret is? There is no royal road. The way is to be close to the Mass, liturgy, and the Word of God, and to practice prayer, reflection, silence, and charity. We need to focus on spiritual values to be happy.

Conflicts and difficulties always exist in society and the world, and much effort and cooperation are required to resolve them. Prayer and spirituality give us a lot of strength along the way. So, despite our busy schedules, we must make time to mature our spirituality. 

How many days do we have left to love? Like the Old Testament Book of Job which predicted that the most amazing wisdom is to fear God and avoid evil (see Job 28:28).