The Secret of South Korea: Working for National Pride

The atmosphere in the hall seemed to warm up as Venerable Thich Chan Quang shifted to a current but surprising topic: The rise of South Korea. He did not speak of dry politics, but guided listeners through everyday experiences, from the television in the living room to hit drama series.

"When I was young," he recounted with enthusiasm, "Vietnam and South Korea stood on equal footing in every aspect. Vietnamese martial arts were famous everywhere; our Shaolin or Binh Dinh fighters defeated Korean opponents right in the ring. In fact, there is a monk in this temple who was once a warrior and had knocked out three Korean fighters before leaving home to become a monk because of regret. At that time, we were very confident."

But the picture has changed completely. He asked, "Now, which screen dominates the market? Sony of Japan, a symbol of peak engineering, has lost to Samsung of South Korea. Apple sold twenty-five million iPhones, but Samsung Galaxy sold fifty-two million, double the amount. Why?"

"Because Koreans do not work only for wages. They work for national pride. Every engineer, every worker, every actor carries on their shoulders the responsibility to lift their country to the pinnacle of the world."

He cited the film industry, a field Vietnam also yearns to excel in. "Do you love Korean dramas?" he asked. A resounding "Yes!" echoed through the room. "Why do you love them? Because the scripts are good and the actors are skilled. But why are they so skilled? Because they train from age three. After eighteen, they stop training new actors for fear of losing the innocence and purity necessary for art."

He analyzed the film "Forever," a remake of an old American and Hong Kong script. "America made it with a happy ending, Hong Kong made it a tragedy, but South Korea remade it and made the whole world cry. Their script was one hundred times better. Why? Because it was not the effort of one individual, but the result of a council of writers who poured their heart, responsibility, and patriotism into every line of dialogue and every scene."

The crux of the story lay in a harsh comparison: "China is opportunistic, hypocritical, and lacks unity. India still suffers from severe caste discrimination. Our Vietnam... I must be honest, still has many issues. But South Korea, a small nation, achieved a miracle. They invested forty to fifty years ago, when I was sixteen, so that today they surpass both Japan and America."

Turning to the workers, his eyes full of encouragement, he said, "Do you see? A laborer swinging a sledgehammer, a nurse serving in a hospital, a mail carrier... If they think only of eight hours of work and meager pay, they will forever remain hired hands. But if in their mind/heart, every hammer strike and every needle stitch carries the concern of a leader, aiming to bring Vietnamese products to the world, then their blessings from merit increase infinitely."

"They work out of love for their country," he emphasized, "not for money. It is this vast mind/heart that breaks the karma of poverty and lifts the entire Korean nation. We must learn from them. Do not wait for reminders about patriotism. Equip yourselves with it in every moment of work. When you think like an owner, like a leader, even while standing in the lowest position, you are creating the greatest value."

The story concluded with a silent yet powerful call to action: Let every product you create become a source of national pride, just as Koreans have turned phones, films, and cars into symbols of their nation.

The Meaning of the Story

The tale of South Korea’s rise demonstrates the power of national pride and personal responsibility toward the collective. The moral lesson drawn is that blessings from merit and advancement do not come from status or innate talent, but from a vast 'Mind/Heart'. When workers transcend selfish thinking, focusing only on wages and hours, to shoulder the shared concerns of the enterprise and the country, they not only improve material life but elevate the dignity of their soul, contributing to the progress of the nation.

Compiled from the dharma talk by Senior Dharma Master Thich Chan Quang