South Korea is one of the most developed nations in the world that is known for its advanced technology and massive GDP, which all stem from the country’s rapid economic development in the late 20th century following the destructive Korean War. However, despite the success and prosperity the people of South Korea have enjoyed, social issues are still present in the country; one of the major issues is homelessness. Thousands of homeless people, dressed in rags with dirt hardened on their bodies, live in the streets of Korea. They go hungry for days and sleep in the desolate subway stations at night. Because they have no food or clothes, some depend on shelters and food kitchens run by volunteers. To grasp a deeper understanding of how prominent homelessness is in Korea, my friends and I volunteered at 서울꽃동네사랑의집 this past Sunday.

Above: This is the small building where donated clothes are gathered and where food is cooked. The clothes and the food are all given out to the homeless in the nearby neighborhoods.

My friends from school and I traveled to Anguk station, located in downtown Seoul, where the volunteering house is located at. We found out that one of the many little shacks on the side of the road was the place where we would be volunteering. As soon as we walked in, we could see that the tiny rooms of the building, which were overcrowded with many eager volunteers from places like Seoul National University.

My two friends and I were also eager to assist in any way we could, so we took on the first job that was given to us with enthusiasm. We were told to chop up the many scallions given to us in a massive tub so that the volunteer chefs in the back could cook meals for the homeless. We quickly completed this job with tears rushing down our faces because of the vegetable’s spiciness. We were then told to join the other volunteers in a room to participate in a conversation about the issues of homelessness, lack of access to education, etc. in Korea and other countries around the world. The conversation carried on for about an hour and thirty minutes, as both the manager running the volunteer program and the professor that came with the Seoul National University group had many insightful things to share with us. As the conversation concluded, we all prepared to take the food we had helped prepare to Seoul station to serve it to the homeless, the main activity that would define this experience for me.

Above: The manager of the volunteer organization stands next to bundles of donated clothes gathered from others.

We took the food to a soup kitchen in front of Seoul station that was cooperating with the place we were just at. As soon as I walked in, I could see the starving homeless sitting down at tables waiting to be served. The sight of the starving, barely clothed human beings made me feel like someone was punching my heart. We were quickly given aprons, gloves, and masks to begin serving food to the homeless. We passed out meals, cleaned the tables, washed the dishes, and mopped the floors. As we were doing this, people began entering the soup kitchen one by one to eat their first meal in days.

Above: Student volunteers distribute drinks as the food is being prepared to be served.

The moment that really struck a chord with me was when I handed out a meal to a table of six hungry people. I had expected them to ask for the meal first as I knew that they had not eaten in days. But to my surprise, a woman took the tray from my hands and passed it down to an elderly person sitting at the end of the table. She waited until everyone else at the table had a tray before taking one for herself. That moment stayed in my mind for the next few days because it wasn’t something I had expected.

The media and the internet generally portray the homeless as individuals who are lazy, alcoholics, drug addicts, or financially unwise, etc., but deep in the back of my mind, I knew that not all homeless people were necessarily “mean-hearted” or “malicious” individuals. But to see someone who has not eaten in days wait until everyone else around him or her is fed before he or she eats truly proved to me that humans can still be generous, caring, and kind to others even when they are suffering themselves.

I continued with my volunteering session and finished after six hours. My friends and I were all exhausted without a doubt, but I can say with confidence that this experience was the most valuable and meaningful volunteer work I have done in my life.

 











Justin Jeong-Yui Lee
Senior
Seoul International School

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