"Is There Truly a Life Without Regrets?"

Changwon Special City Selects a Line from Kang Cheon’s “In the Birch Forest” as This Month’s Empathy Phrase

Changwon Special City announced on November 28 that it has selected a phrase from essayist Kang Cheon's "In the Birch Forest" as December's "Korean Language Empathy Phrase."

The selected phrase is: "Where is a life without regrets? A tree contemplates and ruminates on the pain embedded in each of its scars, straightening itself through reflection."

Through this phrase, essayist Kang Cheon conveys the following message: "Trees have knots. By looking at the knots, we can understand the pain the tree has endured. Trees with many knots are difficult to use as timber. But what can be done about the years they have lived through? Trees remember their past pain and suffering, yet they stretch out new branches and leaves toward the sun. There are times when people, too, can learn from trees."

Changwon City will visualize this phrase and introduce it to citizens throughout December via a large electronic display installed on the city hall rooftop, as well as on municipal promotional electronic boards located in 78 public places.

Since June, Changwon City has been selecting a "Korean Language Empathy Phrase" from literary works each month and introducing it to citizens. The initiative aims to help citizens experience warmth and emotional resonance in their daily lives, while also promoting local authors and their works.

Starting next year, the city plans to select a "Empathy Changwon Korean Language Phrase" with citizen participation on a quarterly basis. The selected phrases will be introduced to the public through the Changwon City Newsletter, municipal promotional displays, and various other media channels.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.