New Branch in Korea

IT WAS in 1952 that the Watchtower and Awake! magazines first began to be published in the Korean language. For all these many years, up to 1982, the printing of the magazines has been done by local commercial printeries. With 30,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses now sharing in the Kingdom preaching in Korea, magazine production has increased to about 100,000 copies per issue, or nearly five million a year! Could this printing be accomplished by local Witnesses themselves, as it is in many other countries around the world?

The dedication this past May 8 of a large new branch facility in Korea should make this possible soon. You can see a picture of the new branch on the opposite page. It is located on nine acres (3.6 ha) of land forty miles (64 km) south of the city of Seoul in a pleasant rural setting at Kongdo, in Ansung County.

Since there was not room to accommodate all who would have liked to attend the dedication program, the 1,882 present were there by special invitation. What a thrilling occasion it was for them, as they heard old-timers review the blessing of Jehovah God on the expansion of the Kingdom work here! Among those present were Don and Earlene Steele, the first missionaries in Korea. When they arrived in August 1949, thirty-three years ago, they found fewer than twenty local Witnesses. Most of these had survived imprisonment and torture during the Japanese wartime occupation.

Why a New Branch Was Necessary

The missionaries moved into a fine home on a hillside in Sodaemun, Seoul. Though the Korean War, starting in 1950, forced them to leave the country for a time, Don and Earlene Steele soon were able to return and occupy the old home, which now carried many shrapnel scars. Thereafter growth in Kingdom activity was very rapid. By 1953 there were 417 publishers. In that year a branch office was established in the country.

Other missionaries came to join the Steeles, and in succeeding years dramatic increase brought the number of publishers up to 5,538 by 1964. In that year the first building program was undertaken in Seoul. A spacious branch office, additional living quarters and a Kingdom Hall were built as an extension of the original home.

During the following years the Kingdom preaching continued to receive an enthusiastic reception among the Korean people. As a result, by 1972 the number of publishers had grown almost three times, to over fifteen thousand. This influx of people into the organization required further expansion of facilities. So another wing was added to the branch building in Seoul, being completed early in 1975.

However, further expansion soon became necessary, especially if Bible literature was to be printed in Korea. Since it was not possible to do this at the branch in Seoul, it was decided to relocate the entire operation and build new facilities. With the approval of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, about three years ago a search started for a suitable location for a new branch.

Because of zoning laws, it soon became apparent that if a printing operation and living quarters were to be in the same complex it would be necessary to move outside the city. Finally, a piece of property forty miles south of Seoul was located. It was registered with the government as forestland.

This forestland property has a healthy stand of pine trees, as well as an apricot orchard. It is surrounded by farmland, on which no buildings may be constructed. So this serves as a protection from other buildings going up close to our property. Even before purchase of the land was completed a permit to build a printery was applied for and obtained. Then application was made and permission received to cut down one third of the trees, removing about seven hundred of them to make way for the construction of the new facilities of the new Bethel home, office building and factory.

Also, there were sixty-seven graves on the property, it being customary for people to bury their dead in pine groves. After notice had been placed in the newspaper, eleven of these graves were claimed by relatives, and the remaining ones were moved to a public cemetery. Then the purchase was completed and the land was registered in the name of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Korea.

Constructing the New Branch

In order to meet the requirements of zoning laws and to use the land as had been agreed, there were only two years in which to complete the building project and start producing. So the land was graded, electricity was brought in and telephone lines were installed. The building permit was received in March 1981 and construction began immediately.

As you can see from the picture on the preceding page, the two-story office building is connected with a larger one-story structure that will accommodate the printery. Located in the office building are offices for the translating, proofreading, accounting and service departments, as well as offices for the Bethel home and factory overseers. On the first floor there is also a fine Kingdom Hall for the use of the Bethel family and the local Kongdo Congregation. Before the end of the year it is hoped that the Korean Watchtower and Awake! magazines will be produced in the printery here.

Connected to the office-factory building by an outdoors walkway is the two-story Bethel home, which also has a basement. Seventy persons can be comfortably accommodated in the home and each room has its own bath. There are also a laundry, areas for ironing and sewing, as well as a spacious dining room and kitchen. During open house for those in the community, a few days before the dedication, the president of a bank training center asked: “Who lives in this hotel-like building?” He was deeply impressed with the facilities.

How were these fine buildings constructed? Almost all the craftsmen were Jehovah’s Witnesses. Because of having families to support, not all of them could donate their services free of charge. But these family men worked at reduced wages. Also, about thirty young pioneer (full-time) ministers were called in for the work. Although they had no particular building experience, they received on-the-job training and made a valuable contribution to the construction. In addition, thousands of other Witnesses volunteered to work for a few days.

All this volunteer labor kept the cost of construction to a minimum. Practically all expenses were borne by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Korea, with a few donations coming from interested congregations and individuals in other countries. Contributions were received from people of all walks of life, from the very young to the very old.

The move to the new branch took less than six weeks. Not only did all the personal property of Bethel family members have to be transferred from Seoul but so did all the equipment and supplies that are used in carrying on the branch operation. As each department moved, it immediately began operation in its new quarters, even though the final construction was being done at the same time. Everyone wanted to get moved in and settled by the time of the dedication. Why was this especially a keenly anticipated event for us?

It was because the Korean branch of the Watch Tower Society was receiving the visit of zone overseer Robert Wallen from the Brooklyn headquarters, and also of two members of the Governing Body, Fred Franz and Lloyd Barry, who were going to share in the dedication program. Thus it was that on May 8, 1982, 1,800 and more representative Korean Witnesses heartily joined with Brother Franz in presenting these branch buildings in dedication to Jehovah God and his work.

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Korea are happy to have these new facilities. It is their desire to use them to the full in accomplishing the preaching and teaching work yet to be done in this land.

[Picture on page 27]

The new Bethel home, located at the upper left, is connected with the office building and factory by a walkway