[People Met Through Books] "4 Million Readers and Daily Morning Letters... Hardship Experiences Are the Source of a Writer"

Awakening to Bird and Breeze Sounds After Burnout
100,000 Annual Visitors at Chungju Meditation Center
Meditation Means 'Pause'... Timing Is Key
Morning Letters to Be Offered in Multiple Languages
Principle of Excluding Religion and Politics, Yet Concerned About Cult Trends
Considering Bible Reading Program

As the son of a pastor, he often went hungry during his childhood. Following his father, who saw pioneering rural churches as his calling, they frequently moved from one countryside village to another. Although the adults admired him for ringing the dawn bell and announcing the morning in the rural neighborhood at a young age, the territorial behavior of other children was mischievous. In one neighborhood they moved to, he followed an older boy who sheltered him with an umbrella and guided him along the road, only to fall into a pit of feces. Afterward, he developed social anxiety and spent a long time reading books at home. His father's collection of books became his daily nourishment. Godowon, the director of Gipeunsansok Ongdalsam, recalls, "The hardships I experienced back then ultimately made me a writer."

He entered Yonsei University’s Department of Theology with the dream of becoming a pastor, following in his father's footsteps. However, while working as a reporter for the school newspaper, he got caught up in a censorship incident and was expelled under Emergency Measure No. 9. When the path to ministry closed, his life flowed toward journalism. After working at “Deep-rooted Tree” and “JoongAng Ilbo,” he served as the Blue House speech secretary during the Kim Dae-jung administration. Known for his quick hands since his reporter days, he faced relentless workloads day and night, which eventually led to severe burnout and collapsing while working. When he lost consciousness thinking, “I’m going to die like this,” the moment he regained awareness, the sounds of birds and wind at the Blue House brought him great insight. This forced “pause” led to the discovery of values that had always been near but unnoticed, and as a result, he started “Godowon’s Morning Letter,” considered Korea’s first newsletter magazine. Soft writing became a refuge amid stiff speech language. He began sending newsletters that combined carefully selected good sentences from books with his own interpretations. The newsletter now has about 4 million readers. After leaving the Blue House, he began building a meditation center in the mountains of Chungju with volunteers for the mental health of modern people. The center, Gipeunsansok Ongdalsam (Ongdalsam), has grown to over 20 buildings and attracts about 100,000 visitors annually, becoming a well-known destination. We met Director Godowon at Ongdalsam.

Godowon, director of Gipeunsansok Ongdalsam, is being interviewed on the 7th at the cafe inside Gipeunsansok Ongdalsam in Chungju.
[Photo by Seo Mideum]

- The scale of Gipeunsansok Ongdalsam looks substantial. How many programs are currently running?

▲There are 70,000 pyeong of forest land and 10,000 pyeong of farmland. We practice natural farming beyond organic methods and use the produce in our food research center to develop enzyme-based, customized foods tailored to different constitutions, beneficial for conditions like hypertension and diabetes, applying them in food therapy. Besides this, we operate about ten programs including aroma meditation, slow walking, sound meditation, emptying and filling, and fasting meditation.

- I heard you received a lot of help along the way.

▲When establishing the foundation, we needed 500 million won as seed money, so I put up my house for sale to start. As fundraising and business results accumulated, the 80 billion won goal set for 20 years was achieved in just 10 years. In the early days, volunteers even participated directly in construction. Although it was less efficient and cost more time and money, we no longer do that, but many hands of help came in various ways.

- You mentioned in your book that the staff number reaches 150. Some even leave large corporations to join.

▲Of the roughly 150 people, about 70 belong to Ongdalsam. This work requires a leadership of service that involves letting go and emptying oneself, and some come here seeing meaning in that. Those who find fulfillment and pride in this work gather and create harmony. However, the number decreased somewhat due to the significant impact of COVID-19.

- I’m curious about how you are addressed.

▲Within the foundation, I am called Chairman; at Ongdalsam, Director or Mr. Godowon. Students call me “Ssam” (teacher) or “Grandpa Dream.” Sometimes I’m called “Ajusshi” (mister). (laughs)

- Are there any special rules to follow within Ongdalsam?

▲The rules are simple. Wear the provided meditation clothes and eat meals at designated times. After dinner at 6 p.m., intermittent fasting is practiced for over 12 hours until breakfast the next morning. Alcohol and smoking are prohibited. Except for a few designated areas, mobile phones (internet access blocked) are not allowed.

- Meditation is the foundation of all programs. What benefits does meditation offer?

▲Meditation promotes health in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects, transforming life. In short, it is a “pause.” Timing is crucial. You must stop before burnout or before the engine catches fire. But you can’t stop in a dirty, foul-smelling place, right? You breathe and meditate in places with fresh air, flower gardens, and greenery, restoring love and gratitude before returning. It’s not about becoming a saint or sage, nor about changing circumstances or conditions. Yet, it brings happiness and comfort. It enables a shift in perspective, realizing that “hardship, sorrow, and pain were actually gifts.”

- Do many people in extreme life situations participate?

▲Visitors come from diverse backgrounds. Most are readers of “Morning Letter” or those recommended by them, and among them, quite a few are in extreme situations. In fact, no one is without pain or trauma. Everyone carries their own internal wounds. But generally, people recover after coming here.

- How many people typically visit?

▲Including events like concerts, about 100,000 people visit annually. However, during the COVID-19 period, visits stopped abruptly, so we operated in an O2O (online and offline combined) format, and visits are now increasing again.

Huh Sun-young's White Sky House. A meditation center inspired by the traditional Mongolian dwelling, the ger.
[Photo by Seo Mideum]

- Are there any visitors who left a special impression?

▲I remember a person who was financially struggling and living with a negative bank balance. After being in an extreme situation, they overcame difficult times here, regained energy, started a business, and made a comeback. I also recall a famous singer who came here, cried profusely, and left empowered. We don’t do anything extraordinary but listen sincerely. We strive to turn despair into hope and help people build the inner strength to endure life.

- You mentioned having 27,000 reading notes stored, enough to send morning letters for 86 years. How do you select and read books?

▲Books are selected by examining social atmosphere, meditation themes, and contemporary agendas culturally and emotionally. I carry the content for a day or two, then add my thoughts without distorting the original text and include it in the morning letter. The results of long reading sessions are stored on reading cards and replayed later. Before computers, I underlined books and wrote notes on cards, but now I input them into a computer and can retrieve results by entering keywords.

- How many readers does “Godowon’s Morning Letter” have? I heard it is also read aloud in Chinese.

▲Nearly 4 million readers quietly follow it. The Chinese service has been running for over 10 years. It is operated by a group of Chinese language experts and has received good responses. Some study Chinese through it, and many listeners are from China. Despite political and religious barriers in China, it has continued for 10 years without issues. If hundreds of millions listen in the future, it could create significant cultural and economic phenomena. We plan to offer services in more languages.

Yangji moss is found throughout Ongdalsam. According to the father's words, "Intellectuals use their brains a lot and need a lot of oxygen, so we must grow moss," they devoted six hours a day to watering and nurturing the Yangji moss.
[Photo by Seo Mideum]

- You are known as a devout believer who once dreamed of ministry. Are there no religious programs at all?

▲Excluding religion and politics is a principle. However, recently, due to many unfortunate incidents related to Christianity, I have wanted to open a program that encourages reading the Bible. For example, falling into cults and pseudo-religions happens because people fail to see the forest and only gain fragmented knowledge. Reflecting on it, books I read as a child without understanding have become an enormous asset now in my 70s. Those who have mastered heavy books develop a depth of thought that is remarkably different. I want to provide that experience, but to do so, I would need to establish a separate corporation or amend the articles of incorporation, so I am considering it.

- You have a special interest in education, including the International Alternative School and K Diaspora Global Solidarity.

▲Through various activities, I realized how important it is for youth to develop character, dreams, values, life perspectives, and worldviews. It’s not just about getting high scores and entering good universities but nurturing future talents who will stake their lives in a rapidly changing world. I thought it would be good to play a small role in this. That led to the Youth Training Center, Lincoln School, International Alternative School, and K Diaspora Global Solidarity. Children must be grounded early to avoid being easily deceived later, so I wanted to provide such systems.

- Your dreams are grand. How much do you think you have achieved?

▲I think I have achieved 100%. (laughs) But it also feels like only 10%. There is still a long way to go. My main focus is youth. I want to cultivate a global citizenship attitude that transcends national borders. Later, I want to remove the “K” from Diaspora, so foreign students are no exception. World peace is not far away; it starts in the heart. As part of this, currently, 22 students in elementary, middle, and high school are living in dormitories and receiving speech education in four languages.

- For readers of this interview, could you introduce a meditation method they can practice in their own lives?

▲In spring 2014, I boarded a flight to India with a ruptured disc caused by a sudden acceleration accident. To endure the excruciating pain, I practiced breathing for eight hours and created a manual called the 3·3·3 breathing method. It involves inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth while saying “Ha” three times, then inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth while saying “Ssu” three times, then inhaling through the nose and exhaling with the mouth closed while saying “Eom” three times, repeating this cycle three times. This breathing method I developed resonates with natural sounds and energy. It’s similar to a mother saying “shh” when a child urinates. “Ha” soothes the heart, “Ssu” strokes the kidneys, and “Eom” vibrates the entire body. Shaking the whole body purifies and heals. After about 15 minutes, you can definitely feel improvement.