[One Thousand Characters a Day] Lee So-young's 'The Book of Plants'

Editor's NoteAsia Economy provides daily 1000-character transcription content for readers of the 'One Day Ten Thousand Characters' newsletter. The transcription content is carefully selected according to daily and monthly themes from Eastern and Western classics, Korean literature, famous columns, and notable speeches. To welcome spring, we introduce ＜The Book of Plants＞, which tells the stories of plants coexisting with us in the city rather than in distant forests. It contains various interesting stories about the names, forms, and characteristics of small plants that you may have seen once but whose names are unfamiliar, accompanied by detailed illustrations. Through transcription, you can gain not only knowledge about plants but also life wisdom learned from wildflowers. These are sentences recommended by Kim Hyun-jung, the bestseller manager at Kyobo Bookstore. Character count: 1018.

Plants that have not lived in our country for a long time but have come here by chance and reproduced on their own, becoming part of the vegetation, are called 'gwiwhwa plants' (naturalized plants). Usually, naturalized plants have adapted well to Korea's climate and soil without human care, so many are considered weeds. They are often perceived negatively as invasive species or ecological disturbance species. However, the fact that these plants came to this land is actually because of us.

Seeds attached to cargo or containers coming from abroad, clothes and shoes of travelers, or imported grains arrive in Korea and reproduce and survive. In fact, naturalized plants are widely distributed in airports, ports, and landfills. The number of naturalized plants will probably continue to increase as travelers and exchanges with foreign countries become more frequent.

Although naturalized plants with strong adaptability, like the Western dandelion, are often viewed negatively, research on which species are distributed as naturalized plants and their advantages and disadvantages is still ongoing. Not all naturalized plants are harmful. For example, the Western dandelion, which we simply consider a weed, has long been used as a medicinal plant in Europe. The species name 'officinale' of the Western dandelion means 'medicinal' in Latin. It is a traditional medicinal plant that reduces fever, promotes urination, eliminates inflammation, and strengthens the stomach. Therefore, in Europe, dandelion is used to brew tea or as an ingredient in salads.

Thus, the dandelion, which we regarded as a weed, can be a useful and precious plant somewhere. This applies not only to dandelions but also to many plant species we call weeds. Every weed we pass by daily has its own name, role, and value. And it is we humans who give them that value. From now on, when you encounter a dandelion, please call it by its specific name, such as Western dandelion, native dandelion, or white dandelion, rather than just 'dandelion.'

- Lee So-young, ＜The Book of Plants＞, Book Reading Wednesday, 15,000 KRW