Pres. Hinckley arrives in Seoul after a delay

SEOUL, South Korea -- Overcoming a travel mishap that delayed him by a day, President Gordon B. Hinckley finally arrived in Seoul in time to speak at a regional conference Sunday morning.

"I am sorry that we are late getting here," President Hinckley told a congregation of nearly 10,000 in Olympic Gymnasium #1. "We were in Anchorage, Alaska, and had an accident which delayed us a day. It is a miracle, really, that we are here today."

He didn't elaborate further about the circumstances that caused him to miss the cultural event staged Saturday night in the same arena, showcasing the talents of the members of the church in South Korea.

The Sunday meeting was broadcast via satellite to congregations in meetinghouses throughout South Korea, as well as various locations in the United States and Australia, according to Elder Won Yong Ko of the Seventy and counselor in the Asia North Area presidency. He conducted the meeting.

With the delay caused by the accident, and a stop in Vladivostok, Russia, earlier that morning, President Hinckley didn't arrive until about 40 minutes after the meeting in Seoul had started. Still, he was greeted with "We Thank Thee, Oh God, for a Prophet" sung in Korean by a choir and the congregation as he entered the arena, a venue for the 1988 Summer Olympics hosted by Seoul.

President Hinckley said he met with about 200 people during the brief stop in Vladivostok.

"That reminds me of the way the work began here," he told the South Korean members. He added, "I told those people that if they will be faithful and true, the Lord will bless them and we will see in Russia what we have seen in Korea."

Along with expressing his love for the Korean members, whom he has had close association with since his first visit in 1960, he shared memories of his stays in Korea, including surviving a violent coup in 1961.

He told the congregation, "God has poured out his blessings upon this people, and the security and the peace and the well-being of this nation rests on the righteousness of the nation. I believe with all my heart that if the saints will live the gospel they will be spared from war and other afflictions."

After spending this morning in Seoul, President Hinckley is scheduled to continue his current journey, traveling to Taiwan and Hong Kong before moving on to India and Africa, where he will dedicate the Aba Nigeria Temple.

E-mail: ghill@desnews.com

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