Korean Cultural Experience Event January 2019

On 27 January 2019, the World Mission Society Church of God Singapore (SGWMSCOG) held a Korean Cultural Experience Event. During this vacation period, the university students from Korea took this chance to join the university students in Singapore. The event seeks to showcase the Korean culture through a series of traditional games and cultural activities.

Prior to the event, members invited their family members, friends and acquaintances. The university members worked together to transform the space with floral decorations and several icons of South Korea such as a drawing of the Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁). The Korean students welcomed the guests with the Korean traditional fan dance and vocal performance of Arirang (아리랑), a traditional Korean folk song with the SGWMSCOG Orchestra playing the accompaniment. They were also adorned in traditional garment, Hanbok (한복), which complimented the performance delightfully.

The hall was also divided into game stations starting with traditional games such as Biseok Chigi (비석치기), Ddakji (딱지) and Tuho(투호). In Ddakji(딱지), players take turns to flip each other’s paper pleats by aiming them on top of their opponent’s paper pleats. The one who collects the most pleats by beating his/her opponents wins the game. In Tuho (투호), players had to aim and toss an arrow into a narrow vase from a certain distance. This game is often played around Seollal(설날) the first day of the Korean lunar calendar or the Korean New Year. The one who has the most arrows in the quiver is the winner and in ancient times, would be regarded to be wise or hyeon (현) in Korean.

Calligraphy is widely practiced across East Asia and Korea was no exception. At this event, guests also had the opportunity to practise Korean calligraphy, or Seoye(서예). As part of the practice, the guests explored the various strokes of the Korean alphabet while learning Korean vocabulary and even got to write their names translated into Korean.

A station was set up to introduce the Biblical truths such as the Sabbath Day and Passover through a series of short videos. Guests completed this station by answering a question based on the video they watched and gained insight into the truth that was kept by the WMSCOG globally. At one corner of the hall, some members prepared mysterious objects hidden in a black box. Guests had to insert their arms into a black box to guess what the objects are. To commemorate the event, there was a photo booth embellished with decorations where the guests can put on both male and female traditional Korean costumes and have their photographs taken.

As the game segment came to an end, the guests were presented with a video by August Kruesi, who shared about The Source of Life in the Universe Is Our Heavenly Mother at an International Bible Seminar. August Kruesi is a current member of the WMSCOG and also the Principal Investigator for Research Programs and Chief Engineer for the Development of Rocket Motor Propulsion Systems at Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA. He is also amongst the top 3% of scientists in the world. Through this seminar, Kruesi explained that up until this moment, there is nobody who can find any source of life out in the universe. He explained how the Bible is factual and that we can find the answer to the source of life. Subsequently, he showed that we should look at what has been made in nature, whereby all living creatures receive life through their mothers. Finally, he concluded that the life we are concerned with, the life of the spirit, comes from God the Mother.

Finally, guests were treated to Ra-bboki (라볶이), which is a dish of Korean rice cakes and ramen as well as Kimbap (김밥) a dish of Korean traditional rolled laver and rice with ingredients. Those who wanted to understand more about the source of life remained behind to study the Bible. The guests went home joyfully after a meaningful afternoon spent, looking forward to the next event.