By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
The Society for a Better Tomorrow (SFBT) celebrates its 20th anniversary with an inauguration ceremony today for its new chairman Kim Seung-jae pledging to instill a sense of respect for righteous living among Koreans.
Founded in 1989, the society is devoted to nurturing a nationwide spiritual movement for upholding spiritual and ethical values required to establish a healthier society. Currently, it has a membership of 500,000 nationwide.
``Practicing righteousness in every aspect of life by adhering to the principles of industry, frugality and honesty is particularly important during an economic crisis," Kim said on the eve of his inauguration. The inauguration ceremony will be held at KBS Hall, Seoul.
Around 1,500 dignitaries, including Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Dal-gon and Rep. Cho Jin-hyeong, chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Public Administration and Security, will be present at the event. A congratulatory message by President Lee Myung-bak will be delivered as well.
During the ceremony, Kim will sign a pact with the public administration ministry aimed at encouraging citizens to practice righteous living by demonstrating unity, honesty and charity in everyday life.
As the ninth chairman of the SFBT, Kim will try to expand the organization's membership to one million, his aides said.
A native of South Chungcheong Province, Kim, 57, is CEO of e-Starco, an enterprise that specializes on education services. He was an advisory member of President Lee's transitional team.