Two different faces of frugality
JANG WON-SEOKThe author is a stock market news reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo.
Yan Hui, a disciple of Confucius, was a great scholar but also known for living in extreme poverty. He often skipped meals but never neglected learning. In the book of Yong Ye in the Analects, Confucius praised Yan Hui, “Admirable indeed was the virtue of Hui! With a single bamboo dish of rice, a single gourd of water, and living in his mean narrow lane while others could not have endured the distress, he did not allow his joy to be affected by it. Admirable indeed was the virtue of Hui.” The poor yet honest scholar originates from here.
In 1993, the first year of public officials’ asset disclosure, former Supreme Court Justice Cho Moo-je came in last among 103 high-ranking judges subject to reporting their wealth to the authorities. At that time, his assets were only 64 million won ($47,833), including a small apartment.
When he was appointed to the Supreme Court five years later, he had only 72 million won. After leaving office, he rejected the sweet temptation of using his former post as a privilege and chose to become a professor. When he worked as a court mediation committee member, he asked for a pay cut, saying he was getting more than his work.
You don’t have to be poor to be honorable. Kim Jang-ha, former head of the Namseongdang Pharmacy in Jinju, proved that even if you are rich, you can live a life not driven by wealth. He made more than 10 billion won from the herbal medicine pharmacy and generously shared his wealth over several decades. He helped local students and democratization activists and went wherever he found discrimination and inequality. All he had left for himself was a small house and a few suits.
Honest and simple lives take various forms, but they have something in common. Those people consider such lifestyles natural and do not show off. Yan Hui considered his lacking circumstances sufficient and did not pursue a public career.
Supreme Court Justice Cho did not like his nickname “Mr. Frugal” because he didn’t want judges being labeled so. Kim Jang-ha, the traditional medicine practitioner, refused all interviews that would have made him famous. Earlier this year, a book on his life was published with the title “After You Give, That’s All.”
So, it is strange to see someone who claims to be frugal and honest. A lawmaker who claims he eats instant noodles every day, wears old sneakers, wears the same glasses for 20 years and drives a car handed down from his father is being investigated in relation to his cryptocurrency investments. I thought he was the modern-day Yan Hui. But as he had billions of won in his suspicious account, he must not have eaten instant noodles as he didn’t have money. Aside from judicial judgment, the sentence for insulting ‘poverty’ would be quite long.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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