Peak of professor Kim Hyungsuk’s life seems to be now when he is 100 years old. He is giving numerous lectures writing as a columnist for Chosun-ilbo and Donga-ilbo frequently appearing on TV and many people are trying to learn from him. It was in the early 1980s when I first attended his lecture almost 40 years ago. I was living in Washington, and it was at ‘Washington Korean church’ which was the oldest Korean church in the US. He was a professor at Yonsei university then too – he was famous for his many books and radio broadcast. I was planning on attending just once due to my busy life in the US. “Justice is the degree of importance of what is wrong or not wrong in life. But, what’s surrounding it – love – that is even more precious.” Then what is love? I went to Virginia, driving for 3 days in a row to hear the conclusion of the last day’s lecture. His persuasive words moved me. I’d forgotten all about it. And one day, an interview of Professor Kim Hyungsuk who was nearly 100 years old caught my eye. “True happiness is being loved by loved ones, and going through hardships for loved ones.” People would normally want to live comfortably with loved ones, yet that was the philosopher’s answer. Hometown of Kim Hyung-suk and Ahn Byungwook is Pyongyang. City Yanggu which is located the closest to the North Korea built a philosophy hall for the two a few years ago. Before the lecture, we had dinner together. I talked to Professor Kim about the lecture at Washington from 40 years ago. He clearly remembered it. ‘100 years old lecture’ was full of passion. He gave the lecture for 2 hours, sometimes sitting and sometimes standing. His erect posture, gentle attitude and memory and a million-dollar smile was the same – the wisdom of those who have lived ahead was limitless. For the elderly to live desirably, independence for freedom and happiness and ‘self-reliance’ with love are important, he says. Reading many books makes difference from the age of 60, he also says. 40 years later, love his theme became personal. The love he talked about earlier was comprehensive. Now, he talked about death and highly recommended dating, living together with lovers, as loneliness is amplified after the parting of one’s spouse – he emphasized that children and those around widows and widowers should form a comforting ambience for that. I thought about his situations as he had lost his wife a few years ago. A middle aged woman did seem to be assisting him, though. He had visited a tax office to tell them that he owed more taxes as he gave 180 lectures last year, he said. He also said that people lose humanity if they hoard too much money. ‘Selfish people disappear even if they try not to rot – people who know history know to rot when the time comes. They leave more fruits behind like a grain. Knowing the meaning of the life and sharing values is the way to live 100 years happily.’ he said. What’s most impressive about Professor Kim is how he talked about the most successful among his acquaintances: Yun Dong-ju, who he went to middle school in Pyongyang with. Professor Kim has lived for 100 years; he must surely know political leaders, people with power, celebrated scholars or those with wealth and fame. It deeply touches me to think that Professor Kim thinks Yun Dong-ju, who had nothing and died in jail after 27 years of a short life a poet with nothing but pure soul and heart is the most successful among his acquaintances. He kept thinking about whom to respect who a true hero is. The two scenes come to my mind. In Amherst college, the prestigious college in Massachusetts with a history of more than 200 years, a statue of the poet ‘Robert Frost’ among many great men and women who graduated from Amherst, stands tall. And in Chinon France, the small village of the great Joan of Arc, a statue of ‘François Rabelais’ Poet stands tall in the middle of town. The attitude and thoughts of Professor Kim, 100 years old was younger and dearer than those of any other that gathered there that day. 
Lecture at Kim Hyungsuk Philosophy Hall in Yanggu 2019 6 
The study that he used to write for decades that was moved to Yanggu 
A philosopher of 100 years old, giving lecture while standing – 2019 6 
Ahn Byungwook Philosophy Hall on display next to Kim Hyung-suk Philosophy hall 
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