Changwon Special City: "There Is a Fragrance When Near Those Who Know the Deep Beauty and Flavor of Life"

A Passage from Kang Hyunsun's Essay Selected as This Month's "Empathetic Korean Phrase"
Delivering a Message of Empathy

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam has selected a passage from the essay "Beautiful Silver" by writer Kang Hyunsun as this month's "Empathetic Korean Phrase."

In the essay, Kang writes, "When I am near those who know the deep beauty and flavor of life, there is a fragrance. From time to time, I go to them to purify my own lacking soul."

The passage delivers the message: "The main topic of our time is youth. However, a beautiful old age is the dream of the generation approaching retirement. Those who have aged gracefully carry the fragrance of their years. The weight of knowledge they have gained and practiced throughout their lives helps anchor the center of a wavering era. That is why we still have more to learn. By being close to mature souls, we ourselves will become more mature."

The city will introduce this passage to citizens throughout July via the city hall building, the electronic display board in Yangdeok-dong, and the municipal information display systems (DID) installed at 69 locations.

Going forward, the city plans to select an empathetic Korean phrase each month that reflects the social atmosphere of the time, offering messages of comfort and hope to citizens.

Meanwhile, since last month, Changwon City has been selecting and sharing "Empathetic Korean Phrases" from literary works with its citizens. The project aims to discover and introduce empathetic passages written in Korean from the works of local writers, helping citizens experience warmth and emotion in their daily lives, while also promoting local authors and their works.