▲ Korea Saemaul Undong Center Guri Office / Director Jeongsup Ahn

[Saemaul Undong]

Jeongsup Ahn took the steering wheel of the Korea Saemaul Undong Center Guri Office as the 15th director. The Saemaul Undong, also known as the New Community Movement, was a political initiative launched on April 22, 1970 by South Korean president Chunghee Park to modernize the rural South Korean economy. In his inauguration speech, Ahn emphasized that members of the movement must not be political but only serve the people. He pledged to re-build the Guri Office with harmony and communication between citizens regardless their social and economic ranks. He added “Saemaul Undong aims to live together and better but not live alone and better. And live together and better not only means economy but also community spirit. Ahn was born in 1967 as the eldest son of 10 siblings in Gongju City. He grew up helping his family as well as his neighbors in need so he has been trained his volunteer spirits since a child. 

[Activities of Guri Office]

Following are some notable activities and engagements of the Guri Office: recycling, weeding, selling onions, harvesting corns and collecting chestnuts for famers, donating 2,100 cooked corns to public institutions in Guri City, donating blankets to people in need, donating songpyeon (Korea rice cake especially eaten in chuseok – Thanksgiving Day) to 700 families in need, quarantine, wearing mask campaign, making kimchi and making and giving out free meals. The Guri Office also runs scholarship and settlement support for North Korean defectors living in the city (Ahn is a member of the Guri Police Security Advisory Committee). In recognition, he received a citation from the chief of the National Police Agency on Police Day in October 21 this year. Apart from Organizational roles, Ahn is CEO of Daesang Steel nestled in Topyeong-dong, Guri. 

[Support Needed]

As most activities of the Guri Office focus on helping people in need and donations, it always suffers from lack of financial support. In other words, Ahn says, the office encourages wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs in the city to open their purse. It is even better if citizens in the same mind would willingly share what they have. (PowerKorea)

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