THE KUKMIN DAILY

On May 25, the 37 members of Galilee Mission Society (president: Im Yeong-eun) of Gimpo Transportation Co. escorted House of Shalom’s 31 specially talented persons to Deokpojin historic site in Deagot-myeon, Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do, for a worship service and picnic. The residents of House of Shalom have 1st and 2nd degree intellectual or physical disabilities that make it difficult for them to move around by themselves or communicate freely. On this day, however, they looked immensely happy to join the annual picnic with Galilee Mission Society.

Gimpo Transportation operates six bus lines from Banghwa-dong in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to Express Bus Terminal, Ewha Womans University, Seoul National University, and Incheon. In 1970, the late Rev. Lee Ju-shik, who founded Seoul Bareum Church, established the company on the basis of the Christian faith. While operating alongside a credit cooperative union and a night school, Rev. Lee, a member of the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea (PROK), always kept the social role of the Gospel in his mind. The company motto of Gimpo Transportation is “Let’s bring about a welfare society by looking up to God, loving our neighbors, and living a fruitful life.” Out of its 330 workers, 310 are members of the Galilee Mission Society.

Yu Min-ho (52), vice-president of Galilee Mission Society, said, “For today’s event, many of the members came out after their night shift, which ended at 2 a.m., or used one day of their annual paid vacation.” Jang Sang-su (56), who chairs Gimpo Transportation’s labor union, said, “I don’t have a particular religious belief myself. But an occasion like this makes me see the Korean church from inside, how it’s doing a lot of good deeds, different from what is often seen from the outside.”

House of Shalom Director Park Gi-sun (56), who has a first-degree physical disability, said, “We came into relationship with Gimpo Transportation about five years ago. Since then, they visit us every month, and every May the members literally become our hands and feet, like today… They are our genuine friends.”

Reporter Paek Sang-hyun (100sh@kmib.co.kr), from Gimpo, with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok, from Gimpo


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