Professor Kim Byeong-jo is bringing classical humanities to Nowon-gu.
The Nowon Cultural Center (director Oh Chi-jeong) will host a free humanities lecture by Professor Kim on July 16 at 2 p.m. at the multipurpose hall of Buk Seoul Museum of Art. The lecture is themed "Wisdom for a Happy Life from Myeongsim Bogam," a classical Chinese moral text.
Kim has reinvented himself from broadcaster to what many call a "modern-day village teacher." He is expected to draw on his trademark wit and deep knowledge of classical literature to offer contemporary audiences — worn down by speed and competition — a sense of mental ease and direction.
The lecture will cover four themes drawn from Myeongsim Bogam: a life of contentment and the art of slowing down, the importance of action over words, the wisdom of harmony through accepting differences, and the happiness that humility creates. Kim plans to present these ideas in an accessible and entertaining way suited to modern audiences.
The session is expected to go beyond a conventional humanities lecture, blending humor rooted in Kim's long broadcasting career with personal stories to offer laughter, empathy and comfort.
The Nowon Cultural Center runs a monthly free humanities lecture series, inviting prominent figures from various fields to raise residents' cultural literacy and improve their quality of life.
Previous sessions drew strong responses — attorney Hwang Gyo-yeong spoke on practical everyday law in May, and former Chonnam National University College of Medicine dean Jeong Yeong-do lectured on three habits for healthy aging in June.
The fourth installment in the series follows on July 23 at 2 p.m. at the Nowon Cultural Center multipurpose hall. Seo Sun-tak, former president of the University of Seoul and current co-chair of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, will speak on "Life Wisdom for Happiness."
"Professor Kim Byeong-jo is one of the best at blending humor with the humanities, making it easy and enjoyable for anyone to gain life wisdom," said Park Yeong-rae, secretary-general of the Nowon Cultural Center. "We hope this will be a meaningful occasion for people to set aside the heat of summer for a moment and find some peace of mind and happiness."
The lecture is free and open to all Nowon-gu residents on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration is available on the Nowon Cultural Center website. For further details, contact the center's administrative office.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
