Kyobo Life Insurance's 'Gwanghwamun Geulpan' Recognized for Its Academic Value

Professor Lee Young-rim of Dongguk University Highlights 'Growth Through Adversity'

On the 2nd, a passage from the poem "Love" by poet Jeon Bong-geon is displayed on the Gwanghwamun Letter Board 'Spring Edition' on the exterior wall of the Kyobo Life Building in Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] The value of the 'Gwanghwamun Geulpan' on the outer wall of Kyobo Life Insurance's Gwanghwamun headquarters is gaining academic attention.

On the 20th, Kyobo Life Insurance announced that Professor Lee Young-rim of Dongguk University's Department of Buddhist Childcare recently highlighted the Gwanghwamun Geulpan from the perspective of 'growth through adversity' in her paper titled "The Counseling Implications of Gwanghwamun Geulpan and Bowang Sammaeron from the Perspective of Post-Traumatic Growth," published in the academic journal Journal of Religious Education.

Professor Lee focused on the fact that people interpret the Gwanghwamun Geulpan based on their own personal experiences. She analyzed that the phrases on the Gwanghwamun Geulpan, which deeply resonate with and comfort people, reflect how modern individuals overcome stress and psychological wounds in life and grow from them.

For example, the line "Where is a flower that blooms without shaking?" reflects a positive psychological change of facing and accepting difficulties. The phrase "The leaves are beautiful because they are eaten by bugs" shows an aspiration for living together by letting go of selfishness. Those moved by the line "Flowers bloom through the power of stillness" project a psychology that seeks to escape anxiety and depression and discover new possibilities.

Professor Lee stated, "The Gwanghwamun Geulpan has served as a medium of empathetic communication that adds meaning to life for citizens through poetic language in the city for 30 years, maintaining its historicity and continuity," and added, "It provides messages of comfort and hope to modern people living in times of crisis and acts as a mirror reflecting oneself to passersby on the street."