Communication on November 10, 2006
* Seminar on Life Education in the Korean Society
The Bioethics Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (President: Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong?ok) and the Life Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul (President: Most Rev. Andrew Yeom Soo?jung) held a regular seminar under the theme “Life Education in the Korean Society” at the auditorium of the Songsin campus, the Catholic University of Korea on November 4, 2006.
The Rev. Lemigio Lee Dong?ik, Secretary of the CBCK Bioethics Committee, facilitated the seminar. In the opening address, the Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong?ok said, “To believe in God is to remember that we are called to love life and to choose life always.”
In his keynote address, His Eminence Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jin?suk, Archbishop of Seoul, pointed out the problems of the culture of death, such as suicide, juvenile sexual disorder, and abortion. And he emphasized that we should teach the youth the Word of life and the Gospel of life in a determined way to build a true culture for human life.
For the guest speeches, Prof. Maeng Gwang?ho (Catholic University of Korea, a member of the Life Committee of the Seoul Archdiocese) and Dr. Bernard Lee (President of Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan) gave lectures on the importance of life education in school, and on experience of life education in Taiwan, respectively. They specifically talked about a theoretical background of life education and various experiences in developing and implementing life education programs in Taiwan. A cultural performance on life followed the guest speeches. Ms. Shin Dal?ja, a poet, recited a poem “House of Life” and Prof. Lee Gi?young (Hoseo University) sang songs of life.
The symposium under the same theme was presided over by Prof. Gu Young?mo (University of Ulsan, College of Medicine) and discussed the reality of life education in Korea. Ms. Pak Ji?young (doctor candidate in Biology Education, Seoul National University) talked about the situation and problem of bioethics in primary, middle and high school of Korea, and particularly about scarce contents of bioethics in textbooks on various subjects, including Korean language, ethics, social studies, science, technology and home economics. The Rev. Peter Yang Ju?yeol (Archdiocese of Seoul) talked about life education through sex education in the context of ‘Teen STAR (Sexuality Teaching in the context of Adult Responsibility) Program’ and proposed some principles of life education for the youth. Prof. Shin Seung?hwan (Catholic University of Korea) talked about the importance of life education in schools and proposed some practical proposals.