Grit, Survival, & Hardship

Words in this collection

• 악착같이 (ak-chak-ga-chi) — The core spirit of Korea's rapid economic growth. Surviving no matter how ugly it gets.
• 발버둥(치다) (bal-beo-dung) — The pitiful but desperate flailing of someone trying not to drown in debt or failure.
• 기(를) 쓰다 (gi-reul-sseu-da) — Pushing oneself to the absolute physical and mental limit.
• 고군분투(하다) (go-gun-bun-tu) — Often used to describe a tragic hero or an underdog startup trying to survive.
• 이(를) 악물다 (i-reul-ang-mul-da) — Swallowing your tears, anger, or pain and pushing forward anyway.
• 맨땅에 헤딩(하다) (maen-ttang-e-he-ding) — A reckless but brave challenge. Taking on an impossible task with no preparation.
• 뼈 빠지게 (ppyeo-ppa-ji-ge) — The classic complaint of Korean parents who worked their whole lives to raise kids.
• 산전수전(다 겪다) (san-jeon-su-jeon) — Literally 'mountain battles and water battles'. Someone who has seen and survived everything.
• 요령(을 피우다) (yo-ryeong) — Can mean 'knack/know-how', but often means being lazy by taking clever shortcuts.