The Bongseng Memorial Hospital Community Center in Dong-gu, Busan, was filled with an unusual sound on the 2nd. Instead of the typical hushed tones of a medical facility, the air was alive with warm singing and the vibrant notes of a piano. Do Yong-bok, Chairman of Saratoga Co., Ltd., a man who has explored remote regions in 190 countries, turned his attention to a different kind of wilderness: the "isolated regions" within the hearts of local seniors.
“A Snippet of Song: The Wonder Drug for the Blues”
Chairman Do is well-known as a "cultural ambassador," balancing his role at the golf-equipment manufacturer with his position as the organizing committee chair of the Busan International Choral Festival. His recent contribution to the center went far beyond the donation of a high-quality piano; he sat at the keys himself, making eye contact with the seniors as their "doctor for a day."
“A single verse of a long-remembered folk song or a snippet of a pop song can revive emotional muscles that have weakened over time,” Chairman Do remarked. “When we sing together at the top of our lungs, that heavy, depressed feeling in the chest quickly clears away.” As the seniors joined in, the community center was transformed into a scene of active healing.
Awakening Vitality Through "Social Prescribing"
From a healthcare perspective, this talent-sharing initiative carries significant weight. It serves as a practical model of “social prescribing,” a method used to combat the two most serious risks for seniors living alone: social isolation and late-life depression.
Chairman Do’s special lecture, “A World Culture Journey with Music,” paired vivid stories from his travels across the globe with musical interludes. The program—a collaboration between the Bongseng Cultural Foundation (chaired by Eui-hwa Chung, Medical Director of Bongseng Memorial Hospital and former Speaker of the National Assembly) and the Changgong Uam Association—demonstrates the potential of community-care programs where culture and healthcare intersect.
A New Frontier in Emotional Healing
Bongseng Memorial Hospital (chaired by Nam-hee Kim) plans to use this piano donation as a catalyst for offering more "cultural prescriptions." This reflects the hospital's evolution from a place that treats physical illness into a hub for mental health and psychological stability.
“Chairman Do Yong-bok’s donation gave these seniors the hopeful energy of a new beginning,” said Yeon-hak Jeong, Administrative Director of Bongseng Memorial Hospital, on the 3rd. “The music rising from this center may well be the warmest and most reliable prescription we can offer to ease the loneliness of our elderly community.”
