"To Know How to Read and Write Is to Rewrite My Life"
Poems written by grandmothers in their eighties as they learned to read and write have been turned into songs on stage.
This moving experience touched the hearts of other elderly residents living new chapters of life in Goryeong County.
Goryeong County is watching the musical "Ojige Jaeminneun Gashinadeul" with adult literacy learners at Chilgok Education and Culture Center and taking commemorative photos. Provided by Goryeong County
On June 26, Goryeong County reported that it watched the musical "Ojige Jaeminneun Gashinadeul" with adult literacy learners at the Chilgok Education and Culture Center. This event was part of a hands-on program designed to help learners discover the joy of learning through culture and to motivate adult literacy students.
The musical "Gashinadeul" is based on the true stories of grandmothers from Chilgok who began learning to read and write in their eighties. On stage, the audience witnessed the cheerful confessions and tearful lives of grandmothers who fell in love with Hangul. The performance fully conveyed the true meaning of literacy education, the years of oppression endured by women, and the dignity of humanity.
An elderly woman in her eighties who watched the performance said, "It felt like my own story. I remembered the sadness I had to endure just because I was a woman, and I was moved to tears," her voice trembling as her eyes filled with emotion. Fellow learners sitting beside her nodded in agreement, sharing empathetic smiles.
On the same day, participants also visited the "Gashinadeul Mural Street" in Chilgok County. The messages conveyed by the grandmothers depicted in the murals felt warm, as if they were easing the burdens of life beyond the painted walls.
A county official stated, "This event went beyond simply watching a performance; it made us reflect on the essence of literacy education, which is to continue learning throughout life." The official added, "Goryeong County plans to actively expand lifelong learning programs where learning and culture meet."
Learning to read and write is not just about reading sentences. It is about interpreting life, coming to terms with years of oppression, and finding one's own voice, even if belatedly. On this day, elderly literacy learners in Goryeong County received a special 'lesson' on the Chilgok stage, facing both their past and their future at the same time.
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