Koreans learn to live away from brood, create own lifestyle
By Kim Ji-soo
In a recent episode of the popular reality program "Ugly Duckling," actor Lim Won-hee was seen enjoying the smaller things in life, such as the Korean alcoholic rice drink makgeolli with tofu slices.
The single actor, currently starring in the television drama "Wok of Love," is not alone in his pursuit of "small, definitive happiness" in life.
Another recent television series "Little House in the Woods" on tvN featured top actors including the male actor So Ji-sub living temporarily in a small house in the woods and experiencing the simple life.
The popularity of such television shows reflect a trend dubbed "so-whak-haeng," or the pursuit of small but certain happiness, is still thriving among Koreans.
The growing tendency among Koreans to seek small daily pleasures in life marks a change from the people that had once been accustomed to tailoring their personal lives for the better of the group, company or community.
The word was first used by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami in his essay while Prof. Kim Nan-do predicted it as one of the trends for Korea in 2018. On the flip side of so-whak-haeng, there is a changed reality facing Koreans. Korean society is aging rapidly while the economy is no longer growing at an accelerating speed.
That means Koreans are living longer without an adequate social safety net while jobs are no longer lifetime employment, on the top of the economy failing to provide new jobs. For example, South Korea's unemployment rate this May stood at 4 percent _ the highest rate recorded for May in 19 years according to Statistics Korea. The figure improved slightly in June to 3. 7 percent.
The reality is pushing people to create a new lifestyle in terms of work and personal life, different from their parents who toiled endlessly to buy a home and a car and raise a family.
Kim Hyun-jeung, 43, an owner chef of Owall in Tongyeong, SouthGyeongsang Province is one.
"I live a small life. I work on food, the culinary practice, and work by myself for a one-table restaurant," she said. "On my time off, I visit the nearby islands or spend time on the beach."
Originally from Gangwha Island, near Incheon, Kim studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 2002 and worked at restaurants in Seoul including her own.
"I used to run a one-table pasta place in Buam-dong for several years in Seoul. I worked from 9 a.m. through 10 p.m., because even if guests made reservations, some came early or stayed late, so that meant the restaurant was always open," she said.
"When I have a reservation, I would go purchase the ingredients, decide the menu and offer my cuisine to the reserved guests. I cannot think of doing anything else, as I have chosen to cook," she said.
Kim arrived in the southeastern city of Tongyeong three years ago, which she liked to the extent that she bought a small house where her restaurant is.
"All in all, I can still save every month," Kim said. She would not necessarily classify her life as one of pursuing small but certain happiness. "But yes, I live a small life, and I do what I love doing," Kim said.
For 47-year-old Lee based in Seoul, downsizing her lifestyle in both work and her personal life was made possible because of her "blessed" situation, she said. Single and without the burden to support a family, Lee works in a small advertising company as an account executive. She earns a smaller income than she used to, and she doesn't have a senior title.
"I have a lighter title, and I work in the field with people in their 20s and 30s. It keeps me young," she said. "When I used to have a title, the work felt so heavy. I am not saying the work right now is easy; I work with density. But I don't have the stress that I used to when I had bigger titles.
"I used to work hard with ambition until my 30s but I decided sacrificing many things for big success that we Koreans traditionally identify with was not a worthy goal. So I downsized my work and life so I can experience small and simple happiness frequently in my life," she said.
Kwak Keum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University, said she sees Koreans of all ages opting toward "small but certain happiness."
"Be it the older generation that worked hard during the industrialization era for economic prosperity or the younger generation that is tired of competition, Koreans are learning to seek small joys that bring them happiness," Kwak said. "The 52-hour workweek will take some time to fully embed in society but Koreans will adapt to it and moreover move forward to reject excessive competition or comparison with others, and seek their own happiness. Koreans are saying quality of life is important now."
By Kim Ji-soo
In a recent episode of the popular reality program "Ugly Duckling," actor Lim Won-hee was seen enjoying the smaller things in life, such as the Korean alcoholic rice drink makgeolli with tofu slices.
The single actor, currently starring in the television drama "Wok of Love," is not alone in his pursuit of "small, definitive happiness" in life.
Another recent television series "Little House in the Woods" on tvN featured top actors including the male actor So Ji-sub living temporarily in a small house in the woods and experiencing the simple life.
The popularity of such television shows reflect a trend dubbed "so-whak-haeng," or the pursuit of small but certain happiness, is still thriving among Koreans.
The growing tendency among Koreans to seek small daily pleasures in life marks a change from the people that had once been accustomed to tailoring their personal lives for the better of the group, company or community.
The word was first used by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami in his essay while Prof. Kim Nan-do predicted it as one of the trends for Korea in 2018. On the flip side of so-whak-haeng, there is a changed reality facing Koreans. Korean society is aging rapidly while the economy is no longer growing at an accelerating speed.
That means Koreans are living longer without an adequate social safety net while jobs are no longer lifetime employment, on the top of the economy failing to provide new jobs. For example, South Korea's unemployment rate this May stood at 4 percent _ the highest rate recorded for May in 19 years according to Statistics Korea. The figure improved slightly in June to 3. 7 percent.
The reality is pushing people to create a new lifestyle in terms of work and personal life, different from their parents who toiled endlessly to buy a home and a car and raise a family.
Kim Hyun-jeung, 43, an owner chef of Owall in Tongyeong, SouthGyeongsang Province is one.
"I live a small life. I work on food, the culinary practice, and work by myself for a one-table restaurant," she said. "On my time off, I visit the nearby islands or spend time on the beach."
Originally from Gangwha Island, near Incheon, Kim studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 2002 and worked at restaurants in Seoul including her own.
"I used to run a one-table pasta place in Buam-dong for several years in Seoul. I worked from 9 a.m. through 10 p.m., because even if guests made reservations, some came early or stayed late, so that meant the restaurant was always open," she said.
"When I have a reservation, I would go purchase the ingredients, decide the menu and offer my cuisine to the reserved guests. I cannot think of doing anything else, as I have chosen to cook," she said.
Kim arrived in the southeastern city of Tongyeong three years ago, which she liked to the extent that she bought a small house where her restaurant is.
"All in all, I can still save every month," Kim said. She would not necessarily classify her life as one of pursuing small but certain happiness. "But yes, I live a small life, and I do what I love doing," Kim said.
For 47-year-old Lee based in Seoul, downsizing her lifestyle in both work and her personal life was made possible because of her "blessed" situation, she said. Single and without the burden to support a family, Lee works in a small advertising company as an account executive. She earns a smaller income than she used to, and she doesn't have a senior title.
"I have a lighter title, and I work in the field with people in their 20s and 30s. It keeps me young," she said. "When I used to have a title, the work felt so heavy. I am not saying the work right now is easy; I work with density. But I don't have the stress that I used to when I had bigger titles.
"I used to work hard with ambition until my 30s but I decided sacrificing many things for big success that we Koreans traditionally identify with was not a worthy goal. So I downsized my work and life so I can experience small and simple happiness frequently in my life," she said.
Kwak Keum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University, said she sees Koreans of all ages opting toward "small but certain happiness."
"Be it the older generation that worked hard during the industrialization era for economic prosperity or the younger generation that is tired of competition, Koreans are learning to seek small joys that bring them happiness," Kwak said. "The 52-hour workweek will take some time to fully embed in society but Koreans will adapt to it and moreover move forward to reject excessive competition or comparison with others, and seek their own happiness. Koreans are saying quality of life is important now."
