By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

 

St. Lazarus Village will hold its 38th Charity Concert, “In Your Presence,” on June 11 at the Seongnam Arts Center Opera House. This will be the first time in six years that the charity concert has been held since the 37th charity concert in 2019, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

'In Your Presence' began in 1975 with the voluntary participation of celebrities to help people with Hansen's disease in Korea and abroad. The subtitle of the charity concert, which commemorates the Universal Church's regular jubilee and the 75th anniversary of the founding of St. Lazarus Village, is Joy and Hope (Gaudium et Spes).

 

 

Starting with the opening overture by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Korea (conducted by Jung Woo-gyun), the first part of the concert will feature classical music performed by baritone Kim Dong-kyu, soprano Lim Sun-hye, and crossover singer Kim Hyun-soo.

 

The second part of the program will feature singers Park Wan-kyu (Peter), Kim Jang-hoon, Bada (Choi Sung-hee Viviana), and Yang Ji-eun (Anais). The event will be hosted by announcer Kim Byung Chan (Valentino).

 

It has been 75 years since St. Lazarus Village, founded in 1950 as the first Korean Catholic institution for Hansen's disease patients, began its social work for the Hansen people. For more than half a century, St. Lazarus Village has made various efforts to care for the Hansen people, who have been marginalized and neglected by society, establish their human rights, and eliminate social prejudice against them. The most representative activity for this is the charity concert “In Your Presence”.

 

 

Named after the poem “In Your Presence” by the late poet Kim Nam-jo, the charity concert “In Your Presence” was started in 1975 with the voluntary participation of famous Korean celebrities.

 

The first proceeds were donated to the treatment and social rehabilitation programs for patients with involuntary Hansen's disease, and the event has been held continuously for more than 40 years, up to the 38th edition.

 

When St. Lazaro Village was founded, the country was experiencing political and economic turmoil and difficulties due to the war, so there was no proper help available in Korea.

 

The late Father Lee Kyung-jae, the first director of Lazarus Village, risked the nickname “international beggar” to raise the funds needed to run the village and sought help from overseas, including the United States, Germany, Japan, and Canada.

 

 

The first “In Your Presence” was also held for the Hansen people and their children, marking a turning point in the village's ability to care for the Hansen people without outside help.

 

In the 1990s, when the village reached a certain level of stability, the event grew into a concert to help Hansen people outside the village. This was in accordance with the will of the late Father Lee Kyung-jae to return the goodwill and love that St. Lazaro Village received from other countries.

 

The proceeds from “In Your Presence” are used to help Hansen people in more than 20 countries in need, including Myanmar, Africa, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, India, Nepal, and Romania.

 

It supports agricultural and livestock farming training and facilities for self-reliance, improved housing, water supply, and education for Hansen children, as well as support for domestic Hansen settlements in poor conditions.

 

  Pursuing the realization of social welfare through culture and charity beyond the religious dimension, “In Your Presence” has become a ray of light for Hansen people at home and abroad who still live marginalized lives amidst social prejudice, and a symbol of helping Hansen people.

The subtitle of the 38th edition of “In Your Presence,” which will commemorate the Catholic Church's Jubilee in 2025 and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of St. Lazarus Village, is “Gaudium et Spes,” or joy and hope.