By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Andong Byeongsan Seowon (auditorium)on Oct. 27 to find solutions for regional development with more than 30 Yurims (confucians), the great teachers of Korean society's spiritual culture.

The President's visit to Andong is the first in about 18 months, following his last visit in April last year, shortly after his election, and fulfills a promise he made during his campaign to meet with Andong Yurims and visit them again.

The President shook hands with each of the elders, who greeted him with applause, and thanked them for their warm welcome.

"As soon as I was elected president, I visited the elders and heard good words about running the country," the president said, "Thank you for always being a source of strength for me," and "I feel very comfortable seeing you." "When I was a child, I heard from my elders that teacher Myeong-jae had been offered a government post eight times, but he refused to enter unless the Andong man, Yurim, and Tangping were appointed," the President said, noting that the Andong Yurim have been interacting with our people in Nonsan for hundreds of years.

"I think the spirit of Yurim is an attitude of respecting tradition and fulfilling responsibility," the president said, adding, "I think the spirit of Yurim is to thoroughly fulfill one's responsibilities while respecting tradition and not deferring to others to do what one should do in the country, in one's hometown, in one's family, and in one's workplace." 

Therefore, the president emphasized that "the development of the country lies in the respect of tradition and the fulfillment of responsibility by our people." "As president, I will respect tradition, strive to create a traditional culture, and fulfill my duties for the people."

Chung Sang-young, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Hyanggyo Foundation, first thanked the President for his visit and interest in the region. He said that there are 234 hyanggyo in the country, 38 in Gyeongbuk, and four of the nine seowon listed on the World Heritage List are in Andong, so the Jongga culture is well preserved here. 

Chung went on to say that Byeongsan Seowon is the place where Ryu Sung-ryong left the lesson of Jingbi after the Imjin War, and his loyalty to realize the national crisis and prevent it from happening again has great relevance today. In conclusion, Chung expressed his gratitude for the President's third visit and said that in order to reciprocate, Gyeongbuk Yurim would strive to play a greater social role.

Kim Dong-ryang, Chairman of the Andong City Senior Citizens' Association, first expressed his gratitude for the President's special attention to the elderly. He then expressed his concern that the Andong area is on the verge of disappearance due to the fact that Seowon was built in the 16th century by Toegye Teacher, which led to the development of local talent and the gathering of the population, but now the population continues to gather in Seoul. 

Finally, President Kim asked for the development of the Seowon movement, saying that the entire nation should be happy.

After signing the guest book as "Pride in tradition is the cornerstone of national development," the president said, "I believe that the spirit of Yurim is ultimately two things: patriotism and compassion, and I express here that when we respect and feel pride in such traditions, it becomes the basis for national development."

Meanwhile, as the president traveled to Byeongsan Seowon, people greeted him along the way and welcomed his visit. Kim Soo-haeng, a 94-year-old grandmother, brought a campaign jumper with the president's name on it to welcome him to Andong.

As South Korean political leaders continue to visit Andong, the capital of Korea's spiritual and cultural capital, attention is also focused on the city's new transformation based on bio and tourism.