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| A woman, center, dressed as Sin Saimdang and a boy dressed as her son Yulgok hold up the Olympic torch during the torch relay ceremony in Samojeong Park, the holy place of filial piety, in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Feb. 8. The event took place a day before the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Kwon Hyuk-sung, right, the chairman of the Baekgyo Hyo (Filial Piety) Culture Enhancement Association, poses with the torchbearers after lighting the flame. / Courtesy of the Baekgyo Hyo (Filial Piety) Culture Enhancement Association |
By Kwon Hyuk-sung
 |
The Olympic torch relay re-enacted a heartbreaking scene in which Sin Saimdang, an artist, writer, calligraphist and poet during the Joseon Kingdom, parted ways with her mother, as she held the hand of her own young son, Yi I.
Sin (1504-1551) is well-known in history as a wise mother and good wife, and is respected for her image as a traditional Korean mother who takes good care of her children and helps her husband.
She was born in 1504 in Gangneung, where her birth home, known as Ojukheon, has been preserved. Her son Yi I (1536-1584), better known by his pen name Yulgok, was one of the most prominent Confucian scholars during the Joseon period.
The 50,000-won banknote carries the portrait of Sin, while the 5,000-won banknote carries that of Yi I; it is unprecedented for circulating banknotes to depict both a mother and her son at the same time.
Their legacies give Koreans a sense of pride, and not surprisingly, the torch relay was touching for many people. A woman dressed up as Saimdang and a boy dressed up as Yulgok ran the 1.5-kilometer-long Mother's Road between Ojukheon and Samojeong Park, the holy place of filial piety, before handing over the torch to other bearers.
The event carried significant meaning also because Gangneung is a venue of the ongoing Winter Olympics, along with PyeongChang and Jeongseon.
As I took part in the torch lighting, in full traditional Korean dress, I saw how the torch relay pulled at the heartstrings of both Korean and non-Korean spectators around the globe, and how it aimed to spread the Korean value of filial piety throughout the world.
Last month, the Baekgyo Hyo (Filial Piety) Culture Enhancement Association published the book "Gangneung, the City of the Olympics and Filial Love, Where Tradition Is Alive" both in Korean and in English.
The association has also distributed copies of the book to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members who attended the IOC Conference in Korea, as well as to Olympic delegates and reporters from all over the world.
Copies have also been placed at the Gangneung Media Center and the Yongpyeong Press Center to let more people from around the world know about the Olympic towns and Korean traditions and culture.
The Winter Olympic Games help us spread the spirit and tradition of filial piety throughout the world, as well as help make love and peace bloom among families.
We live in an age that values and prioritizes culture and cultural exchanges. As we continue to hold cultural events at Gangneung, PyeongChang, Jeongseon and other places in Gangwon Province during the Winter Olympics, we can further demonstrate our filial piety and tradition to the world and help expand Korea's cultural influence.
Arnold Toynbee, a British historian and history philosopher, said filial piety and tradition in the Korean family system would help improve the human culture, and thus, they should be maintained and shared widely throughout the world.
During the Olympics, I have come to think that it is time for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to play a more proactive role in promoting Korean culture abroad.
While the Winter Olympics will conclude in a few days, I sincerely hope that the people of Gangwon Province will feel proud of successfully hosting the Winter Olympics.
Koreans should also be proud of turning the Winter Olympic Games into a "Cultural Olympics" and spreading the noble spirit and tradition of filial piety throughout the world, through their smiles, kindness and warm hearts.
Kwon Hyuk-sung (hskwon-21@daum.net) is the chairman of the Baekgyo Hyo (Filial Piety) Culture Enhancement Association.
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