Shincheonji Wonju Church, Philip Tribe, of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony held a 'Year-End Loyalty and Filial Piety Banquet' with veterans organisations at the Heavenly Promotion Centre in Usan Neighbourhood, on the 5th December, inviting people of national merit.

Shincheonji Wonju Church organised a precious and warm time to spread a culture of respect and honour to war veterans who have devoted themselves to their country (South Korea).

About 100 people of national merit and officials from veterans organisations, including the Korean War Veterans' Association, Defoliant Veterans' Association of Korea, Military Distinguished Service Association, Veterans Association for Persons with Disabilities, Veterans Association, and Battle of Chuncheon Peacekeepers' Association, attended the event.

At the opening of the year-end loyalty and filial piety banquet, about 50 members of the Cheonhwa Arts Troupe presented a beautiful performance that captivated the eyes and ears of the audience.

The Korean traditional music orchestra's 'Sori Play' (Playing With Sound), 'Cheonggyecheon' (Cheonggye Stream), and the 25-string gayageum choir beautifully performed 'Taepyeongga' (Song of Peace), 'Milyang Arirang' (representative folk song of Gangwon province), and 'Jajin Boat Song', which sings of the joy of a new era of peace.

In addition, the song 'Colors of the Wind', which expresses the beauty of the forces of life in all things and a world in which we live in harmony, was expressed through dance, and an event was held to read letters of gratitude for senior guests from a veterans group.

Through reading the letter, Miss Min-kyung Kwon said, “I learned the meaning of ‘protecting the country’ not long ago, and I learned in detail how much sacrifice was made for our country. When I grow up, I wish to become a heroine who protects our country like the people here.”

“I will study hard to create a world where there is no war and only peace,” she said. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the heroes who protected our country and created a future for me.”

Next, 'Do you know the Republic of Korea?' contains the visual process of Korea's modernisation, such as the nurses and miners who were dispatched to West Germany after the pain of war, the dispatch of troops to the Vietnam War, which was a catalyst for the sacrifice of the Korean economy, and the construction of highways and economic development with veterans' combat allowances. Many attendees had tears in their eyes while watching the video.

In addition, the experience booth provided added enjoyment by offering acupuncture treatment, sports massage, and photo taking in the photo zone.

Young-hwan Kim, president of (Korean) Jecheon City War Veterans Association, said, “I would like to express my gratitude to Shincheonji Church for always helping and serving veterans groups.”

An official from a veterans organisation expressed his feelings, saying, “We are always grateful (to Shincheonji Church of Jesus) for the deep expression of care and attention.”

An official from Shincheonji Wonju Church said, “Every person who attended the event is a hero who risked his or her life to fight to protect our country. We sincerely respect them and will continue to actively work to establish a culture for veterans.”