From a basketball fanatic to a filial piety delivery preacher, adviser Kim Ho-gyeom's sad life...A tour of the country to visit the elderly with a couple's wandering band
Jun 18, 2025
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There are not many people who know well, nor do they have strong support. Sometimes, he gets a sour look. Still, every Tuesday and Thursday, he holds his wife's hands and goes on a wanderlust with the elderly in Paldo Island across the country. I am satisfied that I only ate and slept in a rented camper van to save room and board. It's a 'suffering' but I'm still happy. This is because I cannot forget the warmth of the elderly who enjoy the amateur wandering band's clumsy performance.
A hidden filial piety (孝) delivery man. This is the daily life of the "Kim Hokyeom Wandering Band". The head of the band is Kim Ho-gyeom (61), a former secretary of the Jeonggwanjang Sports Team in Anyang, a men's professional basketball team. There is only one wife, Lim Young-hee (56), but the elderly protection facility officials did not have a proper title to call, so it became 'Director'.
Advisor Kim is drawing attention for his ever-changing life history. He turned from a 'basketball fanatic' to an expert in public relations and foreign cooperation, and is now on the path of a volunteer worker for the elderly. Nevertheless, he was famous in basketball in the past as a `man who only does good things for others.'
While working as a youth protection civic activist, he led the creation of the 'Red Zone (a zone prohibited by the Youth Protection Act).' In the past, when he worked as the secretary general of Yeosu Korea Tender (the predecessor of Suwon KT), he helped the famous 'Hungry semifinal myth' by robbing his personal bankbook when the team's operating expenses were cut off amid the crisis of team dissolution.
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At that time, adviser Kim had moved to the head of the external cooperation office of the KGC (Korea Ginseng Corporation), because while serving as the secretary general of the basketball team, he served as the driving force for the victory by setting up a so-called 'table', including reorganizing the team's power. Before retiring as the head of the KGC's External Cooperation Office (Department of Commerce), he conducted a campaign jointly with the Korea Ginseng Corporation and the Korean Red Cross to help seniors who were alone.
His 'life', which puts 'others' before 'I', has become busier since he retired from his job, let alone relaxed, because he has more time. Advisor Kim and his wife drive a camper van every Tuesday to visit welfare facilities for the elderly, including senior citizens and nursing homes across the country. During the three days and two nights when I return to Seoul on Thursday, I will definitely visit two places and return. In other words, I'm looking for eight places in a month.
Advisor Kim plays the saxophone with his usual skills and gives pleasure to the elderly. The performance repertoire is dominated by the trot most preferred by the elderly, such as 'Andong Station' and 'Amorpati', but song requests are also received along with children's song performances. His wife, Lim, helps set up a simple 'performance stage' such as installing speakers and accompaniment devices and is in charge of the elderly's teeth and beauty services.
Since March, there have been 38 elderly facilities in villages that have been visited so far in Chungcheongnam-do, Chungbuk, southern Gyeonggi, and northern Gyeonggi-do without missing a week. The wandering band aims to travel to all nine regions except metropolitan cities and provinces such as Gangwon, Jeju, Gyeongnam, North, Jeonnam, and North by December.
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There were 120 music services conducted for 12 years, except for a one-year suspension when the "COVID-19 pandemic" hit. However, adviser Kim prepared 'wandering orchestra' more than two years before retiring in 2023. "Let's do what we're doing now properly."I obtained a large driving license, a towing license, and a drone pilot license as well as a Chinese and Western cooking technician. Along with a hairdresser's license, his wife took the first level of Silver Ingen Playmaster and the Academy of Fairy Tale Storytelling.
I prepared myself, but I didn't get off to a good start. It was not easy to prepare a camper van, so I asked about 40 companies and other companies for sponsorship, but I did not receive any response. He received a cold response as if he misunderstood it as a "businessman" when he asked about his intention to volunteer at a facility for the elderly. However, he could not give up the 'initial intention' that he had been preparing for for more than two years. Eventually, at his own expense, he started the camper van 'Wandering Band'.
Have a relaxing time after retirement from your surroundings. He is often asked why he is going through such a hard time while spending his own money. Whenever that happens, adviser Kim says "The idea of giving back even a little bit of what I've received in the world." He said, "After 12 years of service to the elderly, I had such a feeling without realizing itAren't they old people who miss the "Jeong" in this day and age where it is hard to see their children. After the performance, I hold hands one by one and say hello, and it's good to see you like it, saying, "'Thank you' and 'I've never heard this kind of performance'."
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Advisor Kim also said that he always feels sorry for his wife. Due to the nature of work, returning holidays was routine, and business trips were frequent. Lim, who had a marriage that was hard to see her husband's face, wished to travel around the country when adviser Kim retired. On top of that, adviser Kim added a sneak 'spin'. "It would be better to volunteer for music on the way to Paldo Island, right?" In the end, it's a trip, but it somehow ended up being lured into the wilderness of Go Haeng-gil.
Still, it's a vice-chancellor. Although the horse is a nomad, fighting the cold and heat of a camping car, he and his wife, Lim, say "I'm happy".
"Whenever I see my wife, who is tired and asleep in a small camper van, I get emotional," adviser Kim said. Nevertheless, he said that his wife, who trusted and followed him, is the greatest strength.
Mr. Lim once met an old man in a wheelchair, and he had never had a more enjoyable day than today in his five years in the facility. I can't forget you said, 'I'm so happy. With such a reward, I follow my husband and live a wandering life."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
