Korean traditional fable and culture of work
"The Ant and the Grasshopper," has message that emphasize importance of work. When I read this fable, one Korean traditional fable came in my mind. The fable's name is "The Lazybones that became a cow." It has message that is very similar to lesson of "The Ant and the Grasshopper." Speaking in short about the plot of story, there was a man who is lazy. He always fiddled around doing nothing. Watching cow that pluck grass, he thought that "I hope to be a cow that is free." One day, he wore a cow mask, he really became a cow. He had to work hardly after becoming a cow. Afterward then, the man that became a cow ate radish and turned to human finally. At last he realized importance of work and then he became a diligent person. "The Ant and the Grasshopper" teach us with comparing the ant that is diligent with the grasshopper that is lazy and always play. On the other hand, "The Lazybones that became a cow" send the message with describing a lazy man.
Like the Korean traditional fable shows, Korea is one of the countries that regards working very important thing. Especially, I think meaning of work is very special in Korea because our country grew rapidly and greatly thanks for Koreans who very hardly work. We said this growth "Miracle of the Han River." I think this miracle gave our country hard-working culture and the culture has lasted so far.
I'm very proud of my country's growth so I can't deny importance of work. However I think Koreans sometimes force hard-working overly. For example, in Korean company, working overtime at night is so prevalent. Many employees suffer by this custom. It's not phenomenon that occur only in company. In Korean high-school, students have to study at night overly. They can't have enough sleeping time. It seems like machine that keep at work without rest. When I watched employees and high school students, I can felt their fatigue. They lost smiling and dozed off in subway.
In this sense, most Koreans think work is very different from recreation. Recreation has to have pleasure and relaxing. Korea's most works don't have pleasure and relaxing. However one choose job because one likes the job's work, they often felt disappointment by overly hard-working. In Korea, it's difficult to regard work as recreation.
Many foreigners in Korea said that Koreans are always busy and work overly. I think so too. Korea need to have more break and recreation time. I believe rest time will make our country more healthy and passionate.
Hello this is Jeeny Jung from your class. Your writing was interesting as you chose a different topic from me. Also I liked the traditional fable you chose, I think it was very appropriate and even simillar to this fable on the textbook. And I liked how you gave the cause of why korean society emphasizes work too much and the reality of the meaning of work in Korea. Your examples of students and overworking gave me a clear understanding! Thank you for sharing!
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