culture

Some years ago, a girl joined the Ragwon Information Technology Trading Company.

As an official of the company introduced her to her new colleagues, she silently bowed to them, wearing a worried look on her face.

It turned out that Kim Ji Ye was a disabled girl who could neither speak nor hear.

That evening, Pak Sin Hyok, a primary youth league official, called on youth league members to take care of Ji Ye as their sister.

“It was not as easy as I had thought to dispel the deep gloom of the girl with disabilities,” said Pak.

Ji Ye had considerable difficulties in communication with other members of staff. She had to note down her thoughts and others had to do the same when they communicated with her.

Such awkward conversations made her so nervous that she became reluctant to share her inner feelings with comrades and agonized alone over her troubles.

Whenever Pak saw her sitting alone lost in deep thought at break times, he always pondered how he could relieve her of her distress.

One day, he came to see her talking eagerly to a girl using her hands in a quiet place.

“At that time, I saw vitality on Ji Ye’s face,” he recalled.

At that moment, he felt completely refreshed and decided to learn sign language.

Since then, it became a part of his daily routine to study sign language until late at night after a day’s work. Even when he returned home at midnight, he reviewed signs before going to bed.

After a while, he had the first sign-language conversation with Ji Ye.

When Pak, who had always brought a notebook or paper to have an uncomfortable conversation with her, unexpectedly talked to her in sign language naturally, she was very surprised and also deeply moved.

The fact that Pak learned sign language for the disabled girl was soon known to all the young people in the company and they also learned simple sign words at breaks.

The pride of the girl, who had hated to be sympathized, dissolved to open her heart which had been bottled up for a long time.

She freely asked Pak for help if there were some problems in her work and he gladly obliged.

In those days, love began to bloom between them.

The pretty, pure and passionate girl gradually became a valuable part of him and she could not help being attracted to his devotion.

At last, they tied the knot some days ago amid the blessings of many people.

“In our society where all people live harmoniously forming one family, there are many excellent young people who regard others’ pain as their own. If my sincerity helped a girl feel the warmth of our society, I am content with it. I will love her all my life,” said Pak at their wedding.