– Gyeonggi Province Organizes an Event for Korean Families and the Families of the US Armed Forces
– Families Improved Friendship through Temple Stay

Gyeonggi Province has been undertaking a new project to improve and reinforce friendship between the Koreans and the US Armed Forces in Korea. On September 6, the province organized an event titled ‘Omsal Experience for Families from Korea and the US 2008’at Yongjusa Temple, located in Hwaseong City.

‘Omsal,’ means ‘close relationship’ in Korean and was selected as the name of the event to reflect the mutual hope of Gyeonggi Province and the US Armed Forces in Korea to improve their friendship.

This event will provide an opportunity for families of the US Armed Forces and Korean families that joined the event to improve friendship, and saw participation by 9 American families from the 51st Fighter Wing and 9 Korean families in Gyeonggi Province including the families from the Air Force Strategic Headquarters. They particpated a Temple Stay, which is a cultural activity.

Families from Korea and the US each randomly picked a ball, and the pairs of families who picked balls of the same color formed a team and spent a day together at Yongjusa Temple in Hwaseong City.

They were shown the temple by a priest, and they experienced “108 bows,” a traditional ceremony in which one bows 108 times while praying. They also made beads, ate a temple meal, had a tea ceremony, and made post cards to be sent to the family members on their team. Officials from Gyeonggi Province took pictures of the families and gave them to the participants in a frame to commemorate the event. The postcards made by the families will be sent to participating families so that they can remember the event and build their future relations.

An official from the US Armed Forces said, “It is regrettable that there have not been many opportunities for exchanges between Korean and American families until now. We wish to thank the province for organizing this event.” Gyeonggi Province is going to organize two Omsal events this year, the second of which will be held at a US Armed Forces site on November 1.

Gyeonggi Province has been promoting cultural events for soldiers of the US Armed Forces, cultural experiences for children from Korea and the US, and events for harmony between Korea and the US to reinforce the cooperative relationship between the province and the US Armed Forces.