The 1978 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts

RESPONSE of Yoon Suk-Joong

Availing of my presence at these Presentation Ceremonies of the 1978 Ramon Magsaysay Award, I would like to express my wholehearted appreciation for this most precious and honored award. And on this 71st birth anniversary of the late Philippine President, may I say that he always stood on the side of the poor and the depressed--a guardian of freedom and justice.

I have written for more than 50 years, quietly and in loneliness, songs and poems for children of Korea, hoping to give them dreams, joy and hope.

As you may well know, the Korean people were forced to use Chinese characters for centuries, despite their own written language which originated as early as the 15th century, and to remain dumb, deaf and blind for 36 years under Japanese colonial domination. With the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II, Korea became independent, but, unfortunately, the peninsula was divided into south and north.

A famous poet once said, "the child is father of the man " But I do not hesitate to say that the child is teacher of the man. I believe that we adults should try more to learn from children than to teach them. Honesty is what we should learn from children, since the world of adults is filled with hypocrisy and falsity. Goodness is what we should learn from children, since the world of adults is filled with insensitivity and injustice. Natural beauty is what we should learn from children, since the world of adults is filled with artificial beauty and pretense. In short, the child is a moral mentor who shows us a world of honesty, goodness and beauty.

Though it is generally said that there is no frontier in love, differences of language, custom and environment may often cause misunderstanding between man and woman. Though it is generally said that there is no frontier in religion, the variety of beliefs today is so great that their walls may be too thick to remove. Though it is generally said that there is no frontier in art, works of art are difficult to project on the world stage when they are not backed up by national strength.

I am confident, however, that the hearts of children know no frontier. What is the heart of a child? It is the very nature of man. It is the very conscience of man. The hearts of children, therefore, can freely converse even with the animals, trees and stones, and friendship is exchanged among them, over and above the limits of time and space. Let us return to the hearts of children. With such hearts of innocence, honesty, goodness and beauty as children have in themselves, let us all build a heaven on earth where the different human races could dwell as one family.

I would like to say that this award will be a source of inspiration and encouragement to me, which will revitalize my life-long service in the cause of children's well-being.

Before concluding, may I quote from the sayings of the late President Magsaysay as follows: "Though I hold the office of President, I am but a plain soldier of this country at heart." As for me, may I say: "Though I am a man of letters by profession, I will remain a humble child-caretaker forever."