Teacher’s Day gathering leaves deep impression
On the evening of May 15, about 50 people from various sectors in society including journalists, professors, artists, musicians, and international students came together at the Seoul Press Center to take part in the Asia Journalist Association (AJA)’s annual Teacher’s Day gathering in honor of our beloved and respected teachers.
- Kim Mook-won, an oriental painter, partly hidden by canvas at right, shows ‘Drawing Performance’ in harmoney with musicians of Korean drums and daegeum, Korean flute, at the annual Asia Journalist Association’s (AJA) Teacher’s Day gathering held at the Press Center Tuesday (May 15).
The evening began with a special “drawing performance” where Seol Ho-jong and Min So-yoon played the Korean drums and daegeum while Asian painter Kim Mook-won painted a traditional style picture with pink carnations and orchid leaves on the screen. The harmony of the music and oriental painting resulted in a dynamic, warm and touching artwork.
- Wang Xuan of China reads a letter to her Korean professor who taught her at the Academy of Korean Studies at the gathering hosted by AJA and The AsiaN to commemorate Teacher’s Day.
Following the brief performance, international student graduates from the U.S., Nepal, Uzbekistan, Russia and China gave short presentations about Teacher’s Day in their respective countries as well as a teacher they felt especially grateful to. Dilshod Gumalov (Uzbekistan) expressed deep gratitude to Koreans who helped him adjust to life in Korea either through language or cultural aspects. One student shared a song about teachers and another read a letter she wrote to her professor.
AJA prepared for the seven international students to become mentees to some special guests of the evening. But, before matching these pairs, all guests introduced themselves and many shared their insight in relation to the special occasion of Teacher’s Day.
- Prof. Park Chan-mo, chancellor of Pyeongyang University of Science and Technology , talks about North Korean students’ attitude toward their teachers at the AJA’s Teacher’s Day gathering.
Koo Bon-hong, current CEO of CTS, remarked that a mentor’s role is to “wake the giant within, ” to help another find their potential at the proper time.
Kang Ji-won, lawyer and member of the Suicidal Prevention Committee, shared his great admiration for Gandhi’s mind of exploring and seeking for the truth, who pondered about everything from whether to drink a glass of milk to suicide.
- Bae Han-sung, a voice actor and an art director of Solomon Art Company, talks about what best mentor means at the gathering in which seven foreign students had mentor relationship with seven prominent figures who attended the gathering.
Bae Han-seong, voice actor, elaborated on his view of the different types of mentors. He stated that an average mentor just chats away, a good mentor tries their best to teach, a better mentor teaches through their actions and a great mentor ignites the potential within the mentee.
- Foreign students and leading figures of Korean society cheer ater being matched as mentors and mentees.
Later, mentors and mentees were matched. I was matched to Professor Chung Dae-chul of Hanyang University, Sara Rai from Nepal to Min So-yoon, music director, Dilshod Gulamov from Uzbekistan to Prof. Lim Woong-gyun of Korea National University of Arts, Prakash from Nepal to Bae Han-sung, Maria from Russia to Park Sang-seol, columnist for the AsiaN, Lim Ho from China to Koo Bong-hong, and Wang Xuan from China to Prof. Dokgo yoon. Even though the international student graduates have been in Korea for quite some time and speak Korean fairly well, we were honored to be given such wonderful mentors, who would otherwise be difficult to meet and get to know. It was very meaningful to have been given a mentor on the special day of Teacher’s Day. I hope that all mentors and mentees can learn from their mentor/mentee and keep up good relations.
Toward the end of the evening, Kim Young-won, director of Bevim- a performance incorporating a fusion of b-boy and Korean traditional music, commented on how the evening was a type of “bivim,” a fusion and mixture of people from all areas of society old and young, Korean and non-Korean, etc. He carries the philosophy that mixing and rubbing different components together results in a synergy effect and this can bring about a better society with less conflict. After the mentor-mentee matching, he asked for AJA to not only find mentors for international students, but also for artists like himself and others attending the program.
At that moment, Prof. Lim Woong-gyun stood up and said, “Let me be your mentor for one day!” Lim suggested for Kim Young-won to take b-boy to another level, by mixing it with the culture and themes seen in the movie, “King and the Clown” such as tightrope.
- Lee Sang-ki, founding president of Asia Journalist Association and CEO of TheAsiaN, delivers a speech in the opening of the gathering to commemorate Teacher’s Day.
To end the evening, President Lee Sang-ki briefed everyone on the progress of the 6-month-old media, the AsiaN, which is publishing in both Korean and English and has just recently started to do so in Chinese. Lee says that recently they have adopted a custom of making sure to take 10 seconds to pray or hope that the articles published in the AsiaN can really be helpful to the readers and the writers.
Later in the evening, after the main event, many of the guests went to nearby restaurant. At that time, Former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan stopped by and shared about three teachers who played an important role in his life: Dr. Schofield (professor who spread the liberation movement overseas), Cho Soon, and Kim Hee-jeong. Schofield helped Chung to continue his studies by supporting his middle and high school education. He taught Chung to be like a tiger to the strong and embracing to the weak as well as the importance of constructive criticism. Cho Soon, was an academic teacher who left a deep impression on Chung through his diligent example. Kim Hee-jeong, Chung’s high school teacher, understood Chung’s difficult situation and continued to support him through those difficult years.
- Lisa Witter of the United States talks about teachers who taught her in Korea and helped her become she is now today in the Teacher’s Day gathering.
As a foreigner living in Korea, this is a very difficult gathering to be invited to and I feel very grateful to AJA for continuously organizing many meaningful events that bring such a variety of people together for a good cause. By far, this evening was my most memorable teacher’s day. In such an atmosphere of sharing and gratitude, not only did it allow me to think about all the teachers who have had an influence on me, but it allowed me to thank all the people who have helped me become who I am today, even if just in my thoughts and heart. I look forward to AJA’s teacher’s day gathering next year on May 13.
USA, Program Manager at International Peace Sports Federation in Korea 
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