Arriving at Ugeocheo, located about a 5-minute drive from Namhansanseong (Namhan Mountain Fortress), I enjoyed seeing late cherry blossoms, still blooming thanks to the slightly cooler temperatures than in downtown Seoul. In front of the house, magnolia trees were showing off their white flowers.
Ugeocheo, which had been closed to public since 2016, is now open after the recent construction of a small chapel, “Palbokjae” (The House of Eight Beatitudes), and a management office. Senior pastor Lee Cheol-shin of Youngnak Church wrote the signboard for the chapel.
Palbokjae can hold 100 persons. At the entrance a video clip was playing with the voice of Rev. Han: “I don’t own even a room of a house or a piece of land. For some reason, the very thought of possessing assets makes me feel ashamed.”
Entering the house, I found a small, humble living room, connected to a kitchen. The dining table was attached to the countertop, so there were only three chairs. The dish-drying rack was just as he had used it.
Youngnak Church Deacon Lee Hyeong-taek (60) has taken care of the house since 2015. He said, “The furniture and all other items in the house are as they were when Rev. Han lived here. He never threw away anything when it was worn out, but instead would repair and reuse things.”
In the living room were a worn-looking upholstered sofa and chairs, a chest, a tea table, and a desk, allowing me to imagine Rev. Han’s voluntary poverty. I was told that he used to read the Bible here in the mornings, and that he welcomed guests of all ages, from children to elderly believers. Glancing around at the framed photo of his grandchildren, a book about the 50-year history of Youngnak Church, General Assembly reports of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK - Tonghap), and some old Time magazines, I could get an impression of the life of Rev. Han, who graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1929 and built the foundation for PCK Tonghap.
The bedroom contained only a low, narrow bed and a closet. On the closet was attached a Taegeukgi (Korean national flag), the national anthem score, and the slogan “Let’s make less waste.” Every morning when he woke up, Rev. Han would look at the national flag and think of the nation he loved.
I walked for about three minutes up the hilly road on the left of the house, and there was Rev. Han’s prayer place with two large stones and some pine trees. Every morning at dawn, Rev. Han would come here and pray for the marginalized and poor, and for his nation.
Born on December 29, 1902, in Gan-li, South Pyeongan-do, Rev. Han Kyung-Chik studied under nationalist activist Cho Man-sik at Osan School in Jeongju, North Pyeongan-do, where he learned to love his nation and people. After he moved to the South in 1945, he founded not only Youngnak Church but also welfare facilities for single mothers, children, and elderly persons in Seoul, and gave all he had to help poor and disadvantaged persons. In 1992 Rev. Han received the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. This award is often referred to as the Nobel Prize for religion.
Reporter DongWoo Kim (love@kmib.co.kr), from Gwangju, with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok
Original Article in Korean:
“재산을 소유한다는 건 부끄러운 생각이 든다” 마지막까지 청빈의 삶: 한경직 목사 18주기… 은퇴 후 27년간 머문 ‘우거처’를 가다
