Adolescent character and family love awakened through ‘filial piety’

According to the data of the National Police Agency in May 2018, 956 crimes committed against family members in 2012 increased to 1,962 cases last year. Over the past five years, the number of crimes against heaven has doubled. At this, experts say that family breakdown is one of the major reasons. In order to help youth realize the importance of family and build right character and personality, the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation has prepared character education for youth under the subject of ‘filial piety.’

The Foundation has carried out the character education in six cities in August alone. In Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju, Chuncheon and Suwon in Korea, over 2,000 people including youth and parents attended. The lecturers were also diverse; university professors, honorary director of Korean Political Science Association, director of the Regional Institute for the Future, and director of the Korea Institute of Counseling were invited. They focused on the relationship between filial piety and character from various angles and lectured on a ‘New Prize for Filial Piety’ required in this age.

On August 8, 2018, Kim Seung-ho the honorary director of Korean Political Science Association gave a lecture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He said, “The teaching about filial piety that has continued in our long history is gradually disappearing. Many children take their entering a prestigious university as an important life goal because of the teaching by rote that focuses on entrance examination. I’m very sorry for this.” And he referred to the phrase, “子孝雙親樂 家和萬事成,” which means “When children are filial, their parents are happy, and when the home is happy, all goes well.” In addition, he said with emphasis, “Although we are living in the fourth industrial age and everything changes so rapidly, the proposition that children must honor their parents is a constant value of mankind.”

After the lecture, a student named Kim Tae-hyeon (17) said, “I had thought that getting a good job would be a way to become a filial son as I studied, focusing on college entrance and finding a job. However, I’ve realized that being with my parents is the beginning of filial piety.” And a student named Lee Jin-bok (18) said, “In my middle school days, I had ever defied my mother while going through a hard time. Then Mom shed tears for the first time. I was very sorry to her. Now we talk much with each other and spend time together often. I will do my best to be more filial to my parents from now on.”

Character education was helpful not only for teenagers but also for parents. A parent named Jeong Mi-hye said, “Listening to the lecture, I looked back whether or not I had made my child go through a hard time because my ignorance about child education.” “I hope my child will feel how much Dad and Mom always love and encourage her. If a certain problem occurs, we will solve it through conversation,” she added.