International Volunteers Day observed in ceremony

¡°I do this job because I like it and I like the many people I work with. I think we happened to receive the prize because we play music that makes people happy,¡± said Prof. Chung Du-Young, 61, of the church music department at Korea Baptist University & Seminary.

He was speaking to reporters after being honored with a government medal in recognition of his contribution to volunteer services in a ceremony to mark International Volunteers Day.

Prof. Chung has led concerts at orphanages and senior citizens¡¯ homes in Taejon for 15 years along with his wife Han Jung-Gang, who is a professor in the same department.

The year 2001 is International Year of Volunteers (IYV), as designated by the United Nations. To mark International Volunteers Day, the Korea Committee for IYV2001 hosted a ceremony at the Sejong Cultural Center. Led by standing representative Kang Moon-Kyu, the committee was jointly set up by representatives of civilian groups, the government and local businesses. Some 1,000 people, including volunteer workers, attended the function and 47 people besides Prof. Chung received presidential citations or medals.

The United Nations sees volunteer work as a key means of resolving problems such as environmental destruction, spiritual poverty, moral corruption and imbalanced distribution of wealth.

According to the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, about 3,898,000 people served as volunteers for 451 million hours in total in 1999 in Korea and their services had an economic value of 2.3 trillion won. The number of volunteer workers increased threefold over the past five years, experts said. However, the extent of volunteer work in Korea still has a long way to go, they agreed.

Lee Kang-Hyun, executive committee chairman of the Korea Committee of IYV2001 said that volunteer workers among adult Koreans account for about 14.02 percent of the total. A 25-percent or higher level indicates a mature society, he said. The U.S. rate is about 50-60 percent.

Suh Young-A sya@donga.com