2023-05-07 07:36:00
At a soup kitchen run by Heo Gyeong-young, president of the National Revolutionary Party, preparing to distribute gimbap. The soup kitchen volunteers wore vests with the YouTube channel ‘Heo Gyeong-yeong TV’ and Heo Gyeong-yeong’s Sky Palace soup kitchen sponsorship number written on them. Reporter Sehun Kim
On the morning of the 7th, the day before Parents’ Day, elderly people lined up in a long line at the back gate of Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. They were waiting in line to get a meal at a free soup kitchen run by Heo Gyeong-yeong (76), president of the National Revolutionary Party. Mr. Heo started operating a soup kitchen in Tapgol Park in April of last year. Meal service starts at 11:30 am, but from 11:00 the waiting line has already stretched over 100m.
Volunteers wearing red jumpers with words such as “Heo Gyeong-young’s Sky Palace Soup” and “YouTube Heo Young-yeong’s lecture” on the back control the procession. When the volunteer handed out meal tickets and shouted “Heo Gyeong-young!”, some elderly people followed suit. Even on the morning of the previous day when the weather was rainy and inclement, about 230 elderly people received free meals here. An official from the soup kitchen at Haneul Palace said, “When it rains, fewer people come, but usually 300 people come, and sometimes 500 people come.”
Jeong Geun-mo (63), who lives in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, visits this soup kitchen four or five times a week. I usually wake up at 3:00 am, transfer several times, have fish porridge at a soup kitchen in South Chungcheong Province, arrive at Tapgol Park around 11:00 am, and get a lunch from the sky palace soup kitchen. Even after that, she went to and from the nearby Wongaksa soup kitchen and the Cheongnyangni Babfor soup kitchen, she said. On days when free lunches run out or are not available, they eat tofu or rice cakes. Mr. Jeong said, “I always come here, so there are quite a few familiar faces.”
On the morning of the 7th, elderly people wait in line near Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul to receive free meals. An official from the Sky Palace soup kitchen wearing a red hat is controlling the waiting line. Reporter Sehun Kim
Mr. Heo’s soup kitchen is particularly successful because other soup kitchens that were previously operated were closed due to operational difficulties in the aftermath of Corona 19 and high prices. When the catering establishments, which had been operated with the concept of volunteering even with private expenses, stopped operating one by one, Mr. Heo, who had abundant capital and manpower, dug into the gap. An official from the Wongaksa free meal service center, which has provided free meals near Tapgol Park for 30 years, said, “Not only prices have risen, but utility bills such as electricity have risen all at once. We are preparing self-rescue measures,” he said.
Some are concerned that Mr. Heo, who also ran for the last presidential election, could use the soup kitchen politically. In fact, it was also seen that the cafeteria site was being used for political propaganda. It is a way of uploading a video on YouTube along with keywords such as “Volunteer President Huh Gyeong-yeong” or posting articles on social media. On YouTube and social media, he also wrote down the number of the sponsorship account related to free meal service. Supporters shared videos and posts and showed reactions such as “As expected, Huh Gyeong-yeong, if this kind of person became president, the people would live without worrying about money.”
On that day, banners and billboards with Mr. Heo’s face and his sponsorship account printed on them were hung in Tapgol Park. A speaker installed on one side of the soup kitchen played a broadcast introducing Mr. Heo’s political career and other backgrounds. An official from the Skygung Soup Kitchen said, “We are not encouraging people to join a political party or raising donations. He said, “The reason why we started free meals at Tapgol Park is because it is a place where many elderly people in difficult circumstances gather.”
On the 6th, when it rained, at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a citizen is eating a lunch box he received from the Skygung Soup Kitchen. Reporter Sehun Kim
Despite various concerns, cafeteria users described Mr. Heo as a ‘grateful existence’. Mr. Jeong said, “Even having free meals like this is something you have to be able to do anyway,” and added, “I am just grateful for being in a position where I receive free meals.” Mr. Lee (73) said, “I think President Huh is a good person because he serves the poor common people.” He says, ‘If he comes to the presidency, he will take it’.”
Park Seung-hee, professor emeritus of the Department of Social Welfare at Sungkyunkwan University, said, “The income security system lags behind advanced countries, and the elderly often do not receive pension benefits.” There are more elderly people in the zone,” he said. He said, “Since the current government’s ideological system is on the side of reducing welfare, areas such as private soup kitchens are bound to increase.”
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