[Korean Culture & Language] Flowers bloom even in the mud

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Plants adapt in many ways to be able to survive and thrive in their environments. While most flowers grow in warm regions and suffer in the heat, some flowers thrive in harsh conditions. Flowers like lantana, lemon verbena, and cosmos, for example, are extremely heat-tolerant. Peonies, bee balm, and Siberian iris are all hardy enough to survive long, harsh winters. Lotuses bloom in the mud.

https://gilmour.com/heat-tolerant-plants



Photo by Jay Castor on Unsplash

There is a saying in Korea ‘진흙 속에서도 꽃은 핀다’ which means ‘Flowers bloom even in the mud’. Even though the lotuses grow in the mud and are surrounded by a filthy pond, they produce beautiful flowers that are not stained. 

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-Myung has described himself as a ‘flower that bloomed in the mud’ by emphasizing that he has never used his political power for personal benefit despite his poor background. 

http://www.newstomato.com/one/view.aspx?seq=1091967

He said the followings:
“제 출신이 미천한 것은 제 잘못이 아니니 저를 탓하지 말아주십시오.”
It’s not my fault to come from a humble family.

“저는 그 속에서도 최선을 다했고 앞으로도 그럴 것입니다”
I did my best in doing what I can, and I will keep doing that. 

제가 돈이 있습니까? 백이 있습니까? 딱 한가지 있습니다. 세상에 대한 애정입니다.
What do I have? Money? Connections? The only thing I have is my love for the world. 

저의 아버지는 시장의 화장실 청소부 였습니다.
My dad used to clean public restrooms

저의 어머니는 화장실 앞에서 휴지를 팔았습니다.
My mother used to sell toilet papers in front of the public restrooms. 

저의 큰 형님은 탄광에서 일 하시다가 사고 당하셔서 왼쪽 다리를 잃으셨습니다.
My brother lost his legs from an accident he had while working in a coal mine.

하지만 열심히 살았습니다.
But I worked hard. 

부정부패 하면 죽는다고 생각 했습니다.
I thought government corruption was the way to death.

가족들 시청 근처에 얼씬도 못하게 했습니다.
I didn’t even let my family be around the City Hall (Because he didn’t want his family to influence him to use his status as a mayor for personal gains).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl15rbA9aQs


Do you see why he refers to himself as the ‘flower that bloomed in the mud (진흙속에서 핀 꽃)’? 

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