Nuance Dictionary / Culture & Language
금강산도 식후경 Geumgangsando sikhugyeong
A practical elder's decree that no task—no matter how urgent—can proceed until everyone has eaten.
What does 금강산도 식후경 mean?
금강산도 식후경 (Geumgangsando sikhugyeong) means: A practical elder's decree that no task—no matter how urgent—can proceed until everyone has eaten.
Textbooks teach this as a poetic proverb meaning 'Even sightseeing at Mount Geumgang comes after eating,' but in actual domestic life, it is weaponized as a benevolent food-first dictatorship. When an eomeoni or halmeoni drops this at the dinner table while you're trying to sneak away to study or clean your room, it is a non-negotiable social boundary rooted in Korea's deep cultural obsession with communal nourishment as the ultimate prerequisite for life. If you try to argue logic or deadlines against it, you aren't just resisting chores—you are committing a grave social offense against the collective *jeong* (affection/connection) of the dining table.
Other sides of 금강산도 식후경
◆ The Hiking Anthem — Textbooks teach you this as a folksy idiom meaning 'Even sightseeing at Geumgangsan comes after eating,' but in the wild, it is almost exclusively weaponized at the trailhead by someone who has zero intention of breaking a sweat on an empty stomach. When a hiking crew gathers at 9:00 AM and someone immediately steers the group toward a tent serving hot *jeon* and *makgeolli*, dropping this phrase instantly dissolves any lingering *눈치* (nunchi) about starting the workout late. It signals a shared cultural consensus that fellowship and food always outrank physical suffering. If you say this to a strict, hyper-punctual hiking senior, however, you will just look like a slacker trying to dodge cardio.
🎙️ 금강산도 식후경은 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [금강산도 시쿠경]로 소리나요 (격음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 아이고 숙제는따로하고, 금강산도 식후경이니까 일단 밥부터 먹어!
A-igo sukje-neun ttaro-hago, Geumgangsando sikhugyeong-inikka ildan bap-buteo meogeo!
Oh, do your homework later, 'Geumgangsan after eating'—eat your rice first!
💡 Spoken by a parent or elder to abruptly halt productivity in favor of immediate consumption. - 금강산도 식후경이라는데, 청소는 배 채우고 합시다.
Geumgangsando sikhugyeong-iraneunde, cheongso-neun bae chae-ugo hopsida.
They say even Geumgangsan comes after eating, so let's fill our stomachs before we clean.
💡 Polite enough to use among roommates or colleagues to stall work for a lunch break. - 금강산도 식후경이야. 눈치 보지 말고 일단 숟가락부터 들어.
Geumgangsando sikhugyeong-iya. Nunchi boji malgo ildan sutgarak-buteo deureo.
Geumgangsan comes after eating. Stop reading the room and just pick up your spoon first.
💡 Used to break down a younger person's hesitation (*nunchi*) about eating before an elder or guest does.
Related words in Culture & Language
구수한 gu-su-han국밥 guk-bap국수를 먹다 Guksureul meokda군필 gun-pil귀가 가렵다 Gwiga garyeopda