Tteokguk, or rice cake soup, is a quintessential dish enjoyed during Seollal (Lunar New Year) in Korea. Eating a bowl of tteokguk symbolises gaining a year in age, as well as starting the New Year with a clean slate. The thinly sliced rice cakes, resembling coins, signify wealth and prosperity, while the broth's clarity represents purity and fresh beginnings. Families traditionally gather to share this meal, expressing gratitude and setting intentions for the year ahead. Therefore, the act of sharing tteokguk with others carries a profound cultural meaning, representing the wish for communal harmony and blessings for all. 

This tradition recently served as the foundation for a special event held by the Eastern Seoul Branch of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group that warmed the hearts of many in Seoul, in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year on 12th February.

On that day, the Eastern Seoul Branch carried out a “Tteokguk Sharing Meet & Greet Hair Dressing Service” at the Peace House in the residential district of Nowon, where they delivered 100kg of tteokguk to local senior citizens’ residences and senior citizens of veterans' organisations.

The volunteer experience was designed to convey New Year's greetings to local elderly and senior citizens of veterans' organisations and provide a time for communication during the Lunar New Year holiday. The experience not only provided meals but also created an atmosphere of trust and unity. It was a gesture of gratitude to the senior citizens who dedicated themselves to the country.

A representative of the Eastern Seoul Branch of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group explained that the tteokguk sharing was planned not only as a meal delivery service, but as an opportunity to add meaning to the holidays to the relationships the volunteer group has built through regular volunteer work and expand communication on an ongoing basis, not just as a one-time activity.

Meanwhile, by combining food preparation, traditional activities, and personal interaction, the Eastern Seoul Branch's New Year’s event reflected a people-centred approach to community care focused on continuity and respect.