Dec 3, 2025 – Weekly Dharma Assembly, Invited Lecture at the National Assembly’s National Happiness Policy Forum
Hello. Today, Sunim held a Weekly Dharma Assembly for Jungto Society members and gave an invited lecture at the National Assembly’s National Happiness Policy Forum.
After completing his morning practice and meditation, Sunim had breakfast and headed to the hospital at 8 AM for a regular check-up. After receiving a cardiology examination, he returned to Seoul Jungto Center to conduct the Weekly Dharma Assembly.
At exactly 10 AM, about 4,000 Jungto Society members connected to the live broadcast. As Sunim took his seat in front of the camera in the broadcasting room, the Weekly Dharma Assembly began with the recitation of the Three Refuges and the Heart Sutra.
After watching a video about the weekly news of Jungto practitioners, everyone requested a Dharma talk from Sunim with three prostrations. First, Sunim gave his opening remarks. Welcoming the first assembly in December, Sunim began the conversation by mentioning the sudden cold wave and health management.
“This is the first assembly in December, the last month of 2025. As soon as winter began, fierce winds have brought a cold wave. Tomorrow morning, Seoul’s lowest temperature will drop to minus 10 degrees Celsius, and most regions nationwide will remain below freezing. Please take good care of your health during this first cold spell. I hear that the flu is spreading several times more than usual this year, so please be careful and get vaccinated if necessary.”
Next, Sunim took questions from those who had submitted them in advance. Three people asked Sunim questions online. The first questioner had worked at a large corporation for 26 years and recently discussed resignation plans, but their supervisor was trying to dissuade them. They sought Sunim’s advice.
I’m Experiencing Menopause and Burnout, and Now I Want to Resign
“When the company is trying to keep you, just pretend you can’t resist and continue working. Since you’ve already made up your mind to quit, you have no lingering attachments, right? Then you don’t need to be tense about promotion desires or fear of being fired anymore. Now you can work comfortably, just doing what you need to do. Even if there are days when you have to work late due to heavy workload, how about working within set hours as much as possible and letting go of mental burdens?
The reason you’re feeling unwell now is likely due to desires like ‘I should at least become a team leader before I leave,’ burdens like ‘I must endure until retirement age,’ or fears like ‘Am I being pushed out as I get older?’ Actually, occasionally working an hour or two of overtime at work shouldn’t make you sick. Your mind and body are exhausted because you’ve been living with too much stress.
That’s why you decided to resign, thinking ‘Money and position are good, but health comes first. What’s the point if I’m sick?’ But now the company is saying ‘Please stay a little longer. At least help us until a successor arrives,’ so the ball is in your court. In other words, you have the initiative. Since it’s been confirmed that the company needs you, you no longer need to worry about being fired. Since you’ve already prepared to leave, you can work comfortably without being attached to promotions. If they really tell you to quit, that’s fine too since you were planning to leave anyway.
Now, don’t think of work as too difficult. Just work calmly according to your commute hours. If colleagues ask for help, do a little more; if there are no requests, work appropriately within the defined scope while taking care of your health and exercising. Actually, even if you quit your job, work doesn’t completely disappear. Even without earning money, you’ll need to do Jungto Society work, and whether you volunteer elsewhere, work will continue in some form.
Rather than thinking of it as a lifelong job, try to spend your remaining time there with a more relaxed mindset, as if you’re wrapping things up. Instead of being too critical of your colleagues or juniors, be more generous-hearted. Think of it as a position you’ll soon be leaving, and offer encouragement and occasionally treat them to a meal. Consider the salary you’re receiving now—which you wouldn’t get after resignation—as a kind of bonus money. If you use about 10 percent of it to buy your colleagues a cup of coffee, your work life will become more enjoyable and less physically taxing. Of course, if your illness is severe enough to require surgery, then you should quit the company regardless of what others say. However, your condition doesn’t seem to be that serious; it appears that your mind is more exhausted than your body. Since the company says they need you, you must feel somewhat lighter already. So continue working with a comfortable mindset until the company tells you to leave. Actually, it seems like you want to hear that ‘it’s better to continue working a bit longer,’ so I’m telling you what you want to hear. At 52, you’re still in your prime. (Laughter)
If they really tell you to quit, you can just say ‘Yes, I understand’ and leave. At that time, you can apply to become a leading member of Jungto Society and start volunteering, or even now as a general member, there are various volunteer activities available at the Jungto Social and Cultural Center that you can do while working at your company. The moment when a company says ‘We need you’ is rare in life. When they’re holding onto you, pretend you can’t resist and continue working with peace of mind. Unless you’re sick enough to get a clear diagnosis from a hospital, I recommend you continue working.”
“Yes, I understand. Thank you.”
Questions continued to follow.
Recently, President Lee Jae-myung has been showing admirable actions, but I wonder if I’m seeing overly glorified media coverage. How does Sunim view the Lee Jae-myung administration?
I’d like to suggest that young people help move heavy food materials in the Jungto Social and Cultural Center kitchen, as female lay practitioners over 65 are struggling with this task.
After finishing the dialogue, it was 11:30. After watching a video about various upcoming Jungto Society events scheduled for next week, the Weekly Dharma Assembly concluded with the Four Great Vows.
After lunch, Sunim headed to the National Assembly at 1 PM.
Several members of the National Assembly had gathered to form the ‘National Gross Happiness Policy Forum’ and requested Sunim to give a lecture on the topic of ‘The Path to National Gross Happiness.’ A few days earlier, Professor Park Jin-do, chairman of the National Gross Happiness Transition Forum, had visited Sunim to personally request the lecture. Since this was a topic Sunim had been interested in for a long time, he gladly agreed to give the lecture.
At 1:30 PM, Sunim arrived at Sarangjae, located next to the National Assembly building. Many members of the National Assembly warmly welcomed him.
Democratic Party member Lee Hae-sik, who leads the National Gross Happiness Policy Forum at the National Assembly, along with members Park Chan-dae, Maeng Seon-gyu, Lee Yong-seon, Park Hee-seung, Yeom Tae-young, Park Hong-geun, Yoon Geon-gyeong, Kim Jong-min, Kim Seong-hoe, Cha Gyu-geun, Lee Su-jin, and Park Jeong-hyeon came to greet Sunim.
After exchanging warm greetings, Representative Lee Hae-sik introduced the National Gross Happiness Policy Forum.
“We are encouraging many members of the National Assembly to participate in re-proposing the ‘Act on the Promotion of National Gross Happiness’ in the 22nd National Assembly, which was discarded due to the expiration of the 21st National Assembly’s term. Currently, 47 members have joined. Our group aims to establish institutional and financial foundations to concretize the concept of ‘happiness,’ which has remained merely declarative, within the framework of laws and policies.”
Sunim encouraged the participating members and urged them to expand this activity.
“Yes, you’ve done well. Now that the Republic of Korea has achieved economic growth and democratization, we need to move to the next stage – an era of national happiness. To do this, while we’ve previously evaluated things like hosting the Olympics based on how much economic effect was generated, we need to establish criteria to evaluate based on how much the national happiness index has increased. I hope the members of the National Assembly will prepare for this.”
During the conversation, National Assembly Vice Speaker Joo Ho-young from the People Power Party came to greet Sunim. Sunim said with a smile.
“Vice Speaker, please lend your support to the proposal of the National Gross Happiness Promotion Act.”
Representative Joo Ho-young also responded with a smile.
“If it can increase the national happiness index, I unconditionally support it.”
The members of the National Assembly each took commemorative photos with Sunim, after which some returned to their National Assembly schedules while others moved to the lecture hall together.
About 100 citizens, including members of the National Assembly, were seated at Sarangjae in the National Assembly building. First, all the attending members came to the front of the stage for a group photo.
Following the host’s introduction, Sunim took the stage amid loud applause and cheers.
Sunim first gave a 40-minute lecture on the topic of ‘The Path to National Gross Happiness.’
“While thinking about what to discuss today, I found myself reflecting on the path I’ve walked. I entered elementary school in 1960. Looking at the data, Korea’s per capita income at that time was roughly $100. Now that per capita GDP has reached $36,000, from a purely material perspective, we’ve grown about 360 times in 65 years. But has our happiness really increased that much? When I recall the lives of my childhood friends, neighbors, and elders, and compare them to the lives of people around us today, it’s difficult to say happiness has increased 360 times, or even 36 times, or even 3.6 times. While things have certainly improved from before, it’s hard to say we’ve become ‘three or four times happier.'”
The Shadow of Growth, Questioning Happiness Again
If per capita GDP increases tenfold to $360,000 in the future, will our happiness level rise then? If this is where we are after 360-fold growth, happiness won’t suddenly increase just because we grow another 10 times. Yet we still chase growth and income, believing that more money will make us happy. Shouldn’t we now acknowledge that these conditions no longer provide much utility? Of course, this doesn’t mean material things have no impact at all, but happiness requires other elements besides material wealth. Finding those other elements is the task before us.
According to expert evaluations, Korea ranks 10th in carbon emissions among countries worldwide. This is also evidence of our active economic activity. However, our happiness index ranks 57th, nearly at the bottom. This means our happiness is remarkably low compared to our material prosperity. Other data shows our trade volume (exports plus imports) ranks 6th in the world, and our defense capability ranks 5th. While our total GDP ranks 14th, our per capita GDP is around 34th. What we commonly call the happiness index is actually closer to a welfare index. It’s based on criteria like social safety nets, educational opportunities, and healthcare accessibility, and this welfare index ranks 57th. With our material index at 34th but our welfare index at 57th, it means our society’s institutional foundation is still lacking. There’s much to improve in various areas including education, healthcare, unemployment, and disaster response.
There’s also something called the ‘psychological happiness index.’ This surveys the happiness individuals subjectively feel by asking ‘Are you happy?’ Korea ranks 117th in this indicator. That’s lower than Southeast Asian countries that are economically worse off than us. To raise this subjectively felt happiness index, government policies alone aren’t sufficient. That’s why I’ve been conducting the ‘National Happiness Movement’ for over 10 years, and in that process, I created the ‘Happiness School.’ It’s a program that excludes religious elements and educates people on how to psychologically increase their sense of happiness.
The unique characteristics of Korean people also play a significant role. First, the most prominent trait of Koreans is their impatience. This is the so-called “ppalli ppalli” (hurry hurry) culture. When people are impatient, they inevitably experience more anger and irritation. Second, Koreans on average have strong opinions. Since they stubbornly insist on being right, conflicts increase and stress levels rise. Third, they are also very greedy. They desire not only material things but also people, honor, and knowledge, leading to dissatisfaction and, consequently, more stress. These traits have helped achieve rapid economic growth. Being quick to get things done, having strong opinions, and being ambitious have served as driving forces for development. However, while these characteristics were advantageous when the country was poor, now that Korea has joined the ranks of developed nations, they have become causes of various social problems such as disasters, conflicts, and wealth inequality, ultimately reducing individual happiness.
Now we need to be a bit more relaxed and safe, and rather than just asserting our own opinions, we should be able to listen to others. We need an attitude that acknowledges and understands those who are different from us. Many members of the National Assembly are here today, and this is a message they should particularly take to heart. (Laughter)
In any case, these changes are essential for improving psychological well-being. That’s why I created and am spreading the Happiness School to change the atmosphere of Korean society. My Dharma Q&A sessions also largely serve this purpose. Many people tell me that after attending my talks, they decided not to divorce or chose to continue working at their jobs instead of quitting. This suggests that these sessions help alleviate personal anguish and stress to some degree.
However, there are limits to what can be achieved through private efforts alone. If we focus only on individual psychology, we risk overlooking socio-cultural and institutional improvements, ultimately falling into the error of placing all responsibility on individuals. Recently, I was delighted to see various activities unfolding: the National Assembly establishing a policy forum for promoting Gross National Happiness, local governments holding the Local Government Council for Happiness Realization, and the private sector establishing the Gross National Happiness Transition Forum. Closing the gap between our welfare index ranking of 57th and psychological happiness index of 117th is the domain of the private sector, while reducing the difference between the welfare index of 57th and material index of 34th must be addressed through institutional reform. Only then will we hear people say wherever we go in the world, “South Korea is truly a great place to live” and “Korean people look happy.”
A monk from Southeast Asia once told me that he really wanted to visit Korea. When I asked him why, he said that a young person at his temple wore a coat even in hot weather. When asked why he dressed that way, the young person said it was because he thought it looked cool after watching Korean dramas. After hearing this story, the monk became curious, wondering, “What kind of country is Korea?” So I invited him to Korea. When he arrived at the airport, he said the facilities were as magnificent as a hotel, but there were hardly any smiles on people’s faces. He asked why people looked so grim despite living in such a nice environment. This is how Korea appears through the eyes of a foreigner.
Many young people in Asia dream of visiting Korea and speak of living in Korea as if it were their wish. Yet Korean youth themselves call the Republic of Korea “hell.” There are statistics that show this expression is not an exaggeration. Current hardships are reflected in the highest suicide rate, and despair about the future is shown in the lowest birth rate.
It’s Time to Adopt Gross National Happiness as Our National Standard
The Republic of Korea where we live is quite well-equipped externally. Over the past half-century, everyone has joined forces to escape absolute poverty, rallying with the cry “Let’s live well for once!” While it may sound somewhat naive now, for our impoverished people at that time, living well was an earnest and simple dream. Step by step, we moved forward and actually became better off, and after continuing the anti-dictatorship struggle with the call “Now let’s live freely,” we achieved today’s democratic society. Looking back, many of the big dreams we held have been largely realized.
However, as we rushed toward growth alone, we also faced unexpected side effects. The enormous challenges of environmental destruction and climate crisis now lie before us, and the “culture of struggle” that was necessary during democratization remains as a legacy that deepens social conflicts. This doesn’t mean that past efforts were wrong. Rather, just as there were achievements, we must now heal the side effects those achievements left behind and move on to the next stage. We must now move away from a society centered on growth and struggle, and create a culture that protects the environment, reduces the wealth gap, and recognizes and embraces different beings. So what indicator shows the comprehensive state amid such changes? I believe that standard is the “Gross National Happiness” index. This concept is known to have been first proposed by Bhutan’s 4th King about 20 years ago. It was a proposal to place happiness at the center of life as a standard, since the material indicator of GNP (Gross National Product) alone cannot fully explain quality of life. In actual surveys at the time, Bhutan was evaluated as one of the countries with the highest happiness index in the world.
Of course, the situation has changed significantly now. Bhutan subsequently pursued comprehensive education reform, building schools in every mountain village and establishing boarding schools in towns so that all children could attend school. Classes were conducted in English, and with UNESCO support, internet education was introduced earlier than in our country. As education levels rose, new problems emerged during the COVID pandemic. As young people gained a global perspective, they began leaving after obtaining Australian work permits. With Australian wages being 10 to 20 times higher than Bhutan’s, people left in droves, and even civil servants resigned one after another. In just a few years, about 100,000 out of a population of 800,000 left for overseas. Looking at civil servants alone, one in three had left. The first thing most people do with money earned abroad is build a house in their hometown, which led to a construction boom. As the wealth gap widened in this process, it became difficult to maintain the happiness index as high as before.
Nevertheless, the concept of ‘Gross National Happiness’ still holds significant meaning. Countries like New Zealand and Finland are actually using this indicator as a criterion for evaluating national policies. When we host international events or make investment decisions, we typically focus on assessments like ‘investing 100 billion will generate an economic ripple effect of 300 billion’ or ‘hosting the World Cup will have this much economic impact.’ However, these countries have begun to adopt ‘how much citizens’ happiness is enhanced’ as the core criterion for policy decisions rather than economic ripple effects. Isn’t this a wonderful direction?
It’s a perspective we desperately need. The recent APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit should also be evaluated not just for national prestige or economic effects, but also for what sense of pride citizens felt during the process and how much their happiness increased. After all, pride is also part of happiness. Such changes are entirely possible if the legislature institutionalizes them through law. Just as highway rest stop restrooms adjust the number of facilities based on gender equality indices, institutionalization can lead to rapid adoption. Waste disposal also forced us to reduce output through the introduction of volume-based garbage bags. While I don’t know much about how to make laws, I continue to make efforts at the civilian level. However, if local governments and especially the National Assembly could establish legal mechanisms to increase the Gross National Happiness index, we could pursue this much more powerfully. It’s with such hopes that I stand here today.
From a Prosperous Country to a Happy Country
The era when Korea had to follow Western ideals is over. We have already joined the ranks of developed nations and achieved accomplishments that were once unimaginable. But can we really say that we have become truly happy? Can we say that our lives are problem-free? No, we cannot. Our lives have actually become more complicated.
Looking ahead, it will be difficult to sustain economic development amid the climate crisis if we continue with our current approach. Agriculture and fisheries are already suffering severe damage, and artificial intelligence will soon replace many professional jobs. Transitioning to new occupations won’t be easy either. Small businesses are collapsing, and even professional careers may be shaken. The wealth gap continues to widen – what was called ’20 to 80′ decades ago has become ’10 to 90,’ and during the Wall Street protests, we even heard ‘1 to 99.’ The bottom 50% owns only 1% of global wealth. In such a reality, can we really say we are happy?
During the COVID pandemic, I went down to my hometown and spent time farming. The population had noticeably decreased. It was a village where 11 children used to be born each year, but when I went, only 17 elderly people remained. When I went down a few days ago to serve food, several had passed away in the meantime, so now there are only 12. Even combining two villages, there are barely 100 people, but there are 4,000 cattle. The barns are full, and most of those tending the cattle are foreign workers. Their number exceeds that of the residents. On the surface, it appears that residents’ income is high and the economy is functioning.
However, whether the phenomenon of people disappearing while livestock facilities increase can be considered regional development is something we need to reconsider. If people don’t live there, who is the development for? If people don’t live there, no development will ultimately sustain the region, so what’s the point?
As artificial intelligence develops further, no matter how high the per capita GDP becomes, it will be difficult to say that the people living within it are happy. While AI is far more efficient than humans in terms of performance, humans are beings who feel achievement and happiness through the process of working. Machines cannot feel the satisfaction of the process. Considering these social changes, to make Korea a sustainable country that is ‘proud, happy, and free,’ we must now change our framework of thinking. Most of you here are probably accustomed to thinking centered on economic growth and struggle.
You may feel proud that Korean popular culture is spreading around the world these days, but when I visit Southeast Asia, I often hear that parents are troubled by their children who have become immersed in Korean culture. This is because they only follow consumer culture without the economic means to support it. That’s why I believe that as Korean culture spreads, we must also play a role in reducing poverty and supporting development in those countries for Korea’s influence to be sustainable. If we continue in the current manner, the Korean Wave will not be sustainable either. Didn’t we once resist becoming merely a consumer market for the West?
The same goes for K-Defense. We need to think about whether this is truly something to be proud of. Those who were involved in social movements in the past will remember how strongly we opposed it when the United States and Russia created weapons of mass destruction and turned the world into a battlefield. But saying that Korean weapons have good performance ultimately means “how effectively they can kill.” I’m not opposing weapons exports, but I think this kind of business should be conducted quietly. It’s shameful for even the president to publicly promote it.
To counter this trend, we must also share things that benefit people. What people learn from Korea should not be limited to weapons production. We need to work together on building safety nets, such as agricultural technology to respond to the climate crisis and how to maintain minimum livelihoods for the unemployed in the age of artificial intelligence. I believe basic income is a viable alternative. There isn’t much left to learn from countries like the United States anymore. It’s time for us to create new cultures and civilizations, and furthermore, to present alternatives. From this perspective, creating a society that increases the national happiness index is of utmost importance.
Now Toward the Republic of Korea in Asia
Members of the National Assembly, it’s time to let go of the inertia of focusing solely on growth and use at least some of that energy for future generations and to help not just the Republic of Korea but also our Asian neighbors. Even amid the extreme poverty of the 1950s and 60s, the intellect and conscience of this nation led the times. So shouldn’t we now move beyond emphasizing only economic growth, present the direction of the coming civilization, expand our scope of concern from Korea to Asia, and play a role in solving the struggles of neighboring countries together?
We are no longer in a position to ask for help from other countries. Rather, it’s time to extend our hands to countries that need assistance. There are certainly contributions our country can make to issues that the international community must solve together, such as human rights and poverty. Nevertheless, we need to reflect on whether we are maintaining an attitude of crying out while still focusing only on Korea’s internal problems. Isn’t it time to broaden our perspective and at least fulfill the responsible role of being ‘the Republic of Korea in Asia’?
From such a broad perspective, we need to newly establish our relationship with Japan, and our relationship with North Korea also requires redefinition. There are positive aspects to how the new government approaches North Korea. Rather than immediately reacting to North Korea’s every move, it’s an approach that no longer views them merely as an object of competition. Depending on the situation, we can embrace them, and even when competing, we need a perspective that encompasses our surroundings with a broader view. In that sense, the value and perspective of the ‘national happiness index’ will become an important criterion showing what kind of civilization we will pursue in the future.”
Following this, there was time for questions and dialogue about any curiosities. Anyone could raise their hand and ask Sunim questions. For 1 hour and 20 minutes, six people asked questions and had conversations with Sunim. One of them shared with Sunim the difficulties experienced due to old habits.
Can I Still Change a 60-Year-Old Ingrained Habit?
“You’re trying to change that quickly too, aren’t you? (Laughter) You need to do everything slowly. When someone tries hard to fix their temper but it doesn’t work well, I no longer tell them to ‘fix it.’ Trying to force change when it won’t change is stressful in itself. If it won’t change, I tell them to ‘just accept it and live with it.’ If there’s a loss from that, you have no choice but to bear that loss and pay the price.
If you keep getting angry and can’t fix it well, just get angry and then apologize. ‘Honey, I’m sorry. I have a bad temper.’ If you just do this, even if you can’t completely fix your anger, it won’t cause major problems in daily life. But usually when someone says ‘Why are you angry?’ the response is ‘When was I angry?’ or ‘Am I the only one who gets angry? Don’t you get angry?’ That’s how fights start.
“Actually, ‘self-awareness’ alone is enough. When I’m moving a bit hastily and someone says, ‘You’re rushing too much,’ instead of retorting, ‘You’re just slow,’ I should accept it and think, ‘Oh, is that so?’ Also, when someone says, ‘You’re a bit too assertive,’ I can just acknowledge, ‘Yes, I am a bit assertive.’ Even this much is enough to live without any problems. Of course, it would be good to change, but if it’s hard to change, just acknowledge it and live with it. Have the mindset of ‘I can live with that much.’ This alone will significantly reduce your stress.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The lecture ended with loud applause.
As Sunim left Sarangjae, he made a special request to Assemblyman Park Jung-hyun, who recently proposed the Gross National Happiness Enhancement Act.
“Please continue to pursue this steadily. I will also help as much as I can.”
“Thank you.”
Though late, Assemblyman Kim Byung-joo came to greet Sunim.
After leaving Sarangjae, Sunim exchanged greetings with the assemblymen who came out to see him off, then headed straight to the Jungto Social and Cultural Center in Seoul.
Upon arriving at the Jungto Social and Cultural Center, Kim Nuri and Adam, a couple from the UK, came to greet Sunim.
Adam is a social activist and author who researches climate crisis and disaster response while creating horizontal community organization models. Kim Nuri specially arranged this meeting with Sunim, believing there would be many opportunities for collaboration.
The two engaged in an in-depth conversation about the new medical and relief systems required in the era of climate crisis. They shared common ground that existing hospital systems and disaster response structures can no longer handle current crises, and exchanged various perspectives on future directions.
What Should Be Established First to Reduce Medical Blind Spots?
Sunim said that for effective treatment, even a small-scale hospital where Western medicine, traditional Korean medicine, and psychological therapy collaborate is necessary. He also emphasized that medical care is the most basic yet most difficult field in overseas emergency relief, and that Jungto Society still lacks this experience and needs to establish a system.
“When I visit overseas disaster areas these days, the most urgent need is medical care. Food and clothing have improved much compared to the past, but the medical infrastructure is so lacking that we can’t do anything. Even a small hospital capable of basic treatment would enable us to do so much in the field.
There are nearly 2.5 million foreign workers in Korea, and their biggest challenge is also medical care. Undocumented workers are especially afraid to go to hospitals, and Southeast Asians have a culture of not going to hospitals even when sick, which makes the problem worse.
Actually, Koreans also tend to distrust hospitals. Even after receiving treatment, they don’t trust it and repeatedly visit other hospitals. That’s why I believe we really need an integrated basic medical system that can combine Western medicine, traditional Korean medicine, and psychological therapy. Above all, the ‘basic treatment’ when first meeting patients must build trust.
In international emergency relief, medical care is the most fundamental aspect, but since we lack experience in this field, we’re not quite sure where to begin. I believe that establishing a system—’how we will treat people’—is more important than the hospital building itself. Only then can we properly respond to medical blind spots, whether overseas or in Korea.”
Adam cited examples of autonomous clinics in Greece and the horizontal relief approach of ‘Occupy Sandy’ in the United States, explaining that a community-based horizontal medical model, rather than a hierarchy-centered hospital model, is more suitable for the future. He particularly emphasized that the therapeutic effect of listening is very significant, and that medicine is completed through relationships, not technology.
“We don’t see people who come for treatment as ‘patients.’ They are simply people seeking care, and their problems cannot be explained by medical causes alone. Real treatment begins only when a 360-degree diagnosis is conducted that examines physical, psychological, and social environments together. Horizontal and autonomous organizational methods work more powerfully in crises where government or market systems fail. Now that disasters have become routine due to the climate crisis, the key is for communities to organize themselves and develop the ability to heal each other.”
As the two continued their conversation, they shared the understanding that medicine is not solely the domain of experts but a process where communities participate together and heal each other. Sunim accepted this perspective and confirmed that we have entered an era where ‘how to care for people’ is more important than ‘how to build buildings.’ Adam expressed hope that this dialogue could become a starting point for creating new models in both Korean and international relief settings.
They agreed to continue their discussion in the future and concluded the conversation after taking a commemorative photo together.
After seeing off Kim Nuri and Adam, Sunim headed to the Jungto Center.
In the evening, Sunim worked indoors on manuscript editing and various other tasks before concluding the day’s activities.
Tomorrow, Sunim will leave Seoul early in the morning to travel to Jukrim Jeongsa in Jangsu to attend the opening ceremony of the Baek Yongseong Memorial Hall, then return to Seoul to attend the Peace Leadership Academy year-end party in the evening.
