Cho Kwang-Jin and Cho Young-Jin of Pusan, Korea

By Melvin Leavitt

Robots are powerful and can fight with great might and do great damage,” Cho Young-Jin, age 8, explains. “But my robots will be different. My robots will help people.”

Young-Jin loves to draw and plans to make a living creating comic strips and animated cartoons of robots. Recently baptized, he has decided his mighty machines will not promote violence or hatred.

Young-Jin is the family’s oldest son, which is an important responsibility in the Korean culture. He willingly helps his younger brothers and sisters, and he is obedient. When his father, Boong-Jae, asked him to be more reverent in sacrament meeting by keeping a record of each talk, he obeyed.

Kwang-Jin is Young-Jin’s twin brother, born a few minutes later. He is a happy, carefree soul who likes to laugh and has many friends. Kwang-Jin hopes to be a scientist when he grows up. He also likes to model in clay and wants his father to teach him Tae Kwon Do, a Korean martial art. He has a good singing voice and loves to sing Primary songs.

The twins have three brothers and two sisters. Kyu-Jin, a pretty seven-year-old girl, is highly intelligent and a good student. She likes to sing and to take care of her younger brothers and sister.

Jong-Jin, age 5, is a tenderhearted boy who often counts his brothers and sisters to make sure no one is missing.

Wi-Jin, age 3, is an energetic boy who knows exactly what he wants, especially if it’s some of the delicious food his mother, Hwasoon, cooks so well. Wi-Jin likes to make little gifts to give his parents.

Du-Jin, age 2, is a sweet child who loves his daddy.

Sol-Jin, age 7 months, likes to ride on her daddy’s knee, be hugged, and give hugs back.

The twins enjoy baseball, soccer, computer games, reading, and a little television. The family especially likes to gather on the living room floor to play a game called yut no ri. Each player in turn throws four sticks onto a mat. The way the sticks land determines how game pieces are moved around a game board.

Young-Jin and Kwang-Jin attend school six days a week. Each day after school they take a computer class for an hour. They also take piano lessons together.

Before entering a Korean home, everyone takes off his or her shoes and leaves them at the entrance. It is Kwang-Jin’s chore to arrange these shoes neatly. He is also responsible for organizing the children’s toys. Young-Jin helps clean the living room and organizes videotapes. All the children who are old enough clean their own rooms.

Family prayer morning and night, morning scripture study, family home evening, and personal prayer are natural parts of life in the Cho home. In a family home evening lesson on the wise and foolish virgins, family members made oil containers to hang on their walls as a reminder to be prepared.

Brother and Sister Cho both served full-time missions, and their children are eager to follow in their footsteps. They are already practicing. Both Young-Jin and Kwang-Jin have invited a friend to a Church meeting.

The children believe in prayer. They have seen it work. Once, before going on an outing, they prayed for protection. That day they were involved in a small accident, but no one was hurt. They felt Heavenly Father had protected them.

Korean families are close-knit and celebrate many holidays together, including a special Children’s Day. One of the Chos’ favorite holidays is the lunar New Year. Another popular celebration is Ch’usok, a thanksgiving festival to mark the beginning of the harvest. It is celebrated with delicious traditional foods.

The Chos live near the Sea of Japan in Pusan, Korea’s second largest city. A legend about Pusan says that once upon a time, tall green hills and a big city both wanted to live in the same beautiful place by the sea. They ended up sharing!

Sometimes the Chos follow the hills to one of Pusan’s beaches to play baseball, explore tidal pools, and build sand castles. Afterward they may visit a fast-food restaurant for untraditional food, like pizza, fried chicken, or hamburgers.

In the Cho family, the children can have fun and be themselves while growing into the men and women they dream of becoming. They are guided with genuine love and the gentle teachings of the Savior. Theirs is a family that would inspire the creation of the very nicest sort of robot.

Photography by Melvin Leavitt

1. Young-Jin and Kwang-Jin belong to a close and loving family.

2. Young-Jin drawing one of his nice and helpful robots.

3. Brother Cho teaching Tae Kwon Do to Young-Jin and Kwang-Jin.

4. Yut no ri is one of the Cho family’s favorite games.