[Korean Culture & Language] Virtue(선) is rewarded(권) and vice(악) punished(징)

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욕심(Greed) can be beneficial to oneself and even to others. According to the survey conducted by Academic Ethics Committee, greedy people's desire for greater social status may lead to favorable behaviors toward themselves and others, which helps organizations. However, greed is a double-edged sword. A person who is consumed by greed will frequently ignore the harm their actions can cause others. 

Do you remember that 도깨비(goblins) appear in many Korean 전래동화(folktales)? In 전래동화, 도깨비 often punish greedy people. 

The following is a popular 도깨비 story, titled 도깨비 방망이(goblin bat), that uses 권선징악(poetic justice).' ‘방망이’ is a ‘bat,’ but it actually works like a magic wand. 




Once upon a time, a nice person was axing the woods. A hazelnut fell from the trees. “I should give this to my father,” he said as he slipped it into his pocket. Then another hazelnut fell. He said “I shall give this to my mother,” and put it in his pocket. One more hazelnut fell, and he said “let me have this one”.


On his way back, the sky began to darken. So, he entered a vacant house and tried to sleep. Then the 도깨비들(goblins) entered the house with their 방망이(bats/wands). They asked the 방망이 to give them whatever they wanted, and they appeared. While he was waiting for the goblins to leave, he became hungry. As he bit one of the hazelnuts he brought, the 도깨비들 were startled by the sound and fled. He became rich after bringing back the wand they had left behind. 


A greedy neighbor (in some stories, they are referred to as ‘his brother’) heard this news and went to the empty house with hazelnuts. 도깨비들 appeared, and he bit a hazelnut. The 도깨비들 found the man and slapped him all night.


This story shows an outcome in which virtue(선) is rewarded(권) and vice(악) punished(징).

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