There Is an Elephant in the Room

The room is filled with familiar scents and light. There is the aroma of coffee, open books, and the television is broadcasting. Amidst it all, a giant elephant stands in the room. The moment this massive figure comes into view, you flinch, then quickly close your eyes and dismiss it as a transparent elephant. This is a psychological evasion, hoping it is not reality. Everyone knows it is there. However, no one speaks of it. If someone does, people look at them strangely. Meanwhile, the elephant sways its tail and knocks over a glass, and with each heavy step, the floor creaks. Even as bookshelves topple and the whole room threatens to collapse, people avert their eyes from the elephant, discussing the weather outside and continuing with trivial conversations. Everyone is aware, but no one addresses it directly. That is exactly the "elephant in the room." Just as a small spark meeting the wind can become a wildfire, warnings that are ignored can lead to irreversible disaster. There hav

2026.04.20 13:27

The Density of Experience Outweighs Tenure

"Why does that person keep getting opportunities?" This is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear while meeting countless candidates at the hiring site. Even with similar years of experience and similar career paths, some people are constantly courted by multiple companies, while others remain stuck in the same position for years. Just like the saying "Luck is 70%, skill is 30%" from the Qing Dynasty writer Pu Songling's collection of stories, "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio," luck does play an important role. However, after reviewing more than 100,000 resumes over many years, I have realized something: opportunities are not distributed equally; instead, they tend to repeatedly go to the same people. The reason is not luck, but rather the result of intentional behavior in the past. Most people faithfully and 'fairly well' complete the work assigned to them, but then stop there. For one or two years, they simply continue doing their work in the same way as before. On t

2026.04.13 11:15

The Cinderella Who Became a Buddhist Nun

People love the story of 'Cinderella.' It is because it tells of a journey from the lowest position to the highest. At first, she was treated with such contempt that she was called a child covered in ash. By chance, she attends a ball, meets the prince, falls in love, and eventually gets married to live happily ever after. Among the many women of the Joseon Dynasty, some might choose Jang Huibin as the figure closest to Cinderella. However, Jang Huibin ultimately fell from grace and was sentenced to death by poison, so her story does not have a truly happy ending. In that sense, perhaps the person who fits the role of Cinderella best is Lady Shinbin Kim. Originally, Lady Shinbin Kim was said to have been of slave status. However, Queen Wongyeong Min brought Kim into the palace as a court lady and sent her to serve her daughter-in-law, Queen Soheon. Kim became Queen Soheon's jimilnain, which essentially meant she was the queen's secretary. As the head of the Naemyeongbu (the palace wome

2026.04.06 11:00

Job Hunting Is a Numbers Game: Strategies for Fresh Graduates

Last year, a friend who had joined a major corporation reapplied during this spring's open recruitment season. While she was satisfied with her current company, her department assignment was not what she had hoped for, and, above all, she had a different company in mind as her goal. The CEO of a mid-sized company that recently hired new employees remarked, "Friends who had previously worked elsewhere seemed to be more prepared," adding, "Fresh graduates appeared less ready in terms of job preparation and corporate analysis compared to those with prior experience." As a result, only about 20% of the new hires were fresh graduates, with the remainder being 'experienced rookies' who had previously held jobs. These two cases clearly reflect the current characteristics of the job market. This generation, who would even retake college entrance exams to enter top universities or medical schools after already being admitted elsewhere, are now choosing to retake or transfer jobs in their profes

2026.03.30 11:00

Why We Need More Children Even as Robots Increase

A while ago, while flipping through TV channels, I happened to come across a variety show titled, "Why Do We Need Humans in an Era Where Artificial Intelligence (AI) Is Smarter Than Humans?" A renowned neuroscientist specializing in AI appeared on the program and said that in a world where AI outperforms humans in every field, the reason for human existence lies in the fact that "only humans can feel." If there are no humans to feel, then AI cannot create those feelings. It was an interesting and insightful opinion. In the future, as AI is applied extensively across all industries and physical AI advances further, most manufacturing processes will be handled by AI. Robots are already being widely utilized in the service sector. Productivity will continue to increase, and the problem of a shrinking working-age population in an era of ultra-low birth rates and super-aging society could be alleviated to some extent. But can AI development truly solve our demographic problems? I don't thin

2026.03.23 11:00

The Legacy of Persia and Iran's Tomorrow

No war is ever a just war. The true horror of the war in Iran, which is shaking the world today, does not lie in soaring oil prices or the might of missiles. It is found in the suffering and despair of ordinary Iranian citizens?those who lose their children in bombings, who live each day in fear of bombs that may fall again amid flames and smoke. Even more frightening is the possibility that the fragile seeds of change, which were just beginning to grow inside Iran, may freeze over completely. Where is Iran's future headed? The sudden news of war brings to mind the face of a young Iranian woman I met just a few weeks ago at the closing ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. It was Soraya Hajiagha, a former badminton player and the first female IOC member from Iran. When those around her asked how the tensions between Iran and the United States might unfold, she answered cautiously: "I am returning to Tehran tomorrow. I will continue to serve as a bridge of communication with th

2026.03.16 11:02

In the Era of Low Engagement, It's Time to Redesign Organizational Culture

As a headhunter, this is a complaint I have recently heard frequently from executives and HR managers: "Employees these days are not like they used to be. The turnover rate isn't surging, but there's also no atmosphere where people voluntarily step up to do more." On the other hand, candidates' perspectives are quite different: "Will my life really change if I work harder at this company?" Rather than declaring an immediate intention to leave, there is a sense that individuals have already set their own limits on how much energy they are willing to invest in the organization. These people remain quietly, but their emotional distance from the company has already grown. In the field, this is referred to as "low engagement." According to Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace 2025," only 21% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, while the remaining 79% are either indifferent or actively expressing dissatisfaction. In the publishing industry, it is said that work-related self-improv

2026.03.09 11:00

Princess Gyeonghye, A Life Harder Than Death

Princess Gyeonghye was born in 1436 as the eldest legitimate daughter of King Munjong. When she was five years old, her younger brother, Crown Prince Danjong, was born, and she suffered the sorrow of losing her mother, Queen Hyeondeok, almost at once. Even so, she grew up surrounded by the deep affection of her father, King Munjong. In 1450, Princess Gyeonghye married Jeong Jong, the Lord of Yeongyangwi. King Munjong cherished his daughter so much that he even defied his officials' opposition to build her a large and splendid residence. However, when King Munjong passed away and the young Danjong ascended the throne, the tragedy began. Grand Prince Suyang, under the pretext of eliminating treacherous courtiers around the king, staged the Gyeyu Coup, killing countless people and seizing power. He then set his sights even further. In the end, Princess Gyeonghye's husband, Jeong Jong, was exiled to Gwangju in Jeolla Province on the grounds that he was Danjong's closest confidant. Princess

2026.02.23 14:06

A Self-Introduction Letter Written Too Well... You Are Eliminated

I was reading my son's self-introduction letter for an internship at a private company and was startled by how well it was written. Unlike his usual writing, there were almost no typos, the sentences flowed relatively smoothly, and above all, impressive words like "rigor" and "innovativeness" were lined up one after another. "Is this really the son I know?" I was briefly confused, but as I suspected, the actual author of the letter was a generative AI. To be exact, my son provided the material and wrote the first draft, while the AI handled the copyediting and polishing. In reality, the writing, polishing, and proofreading abilities of generative AI are considerable. The sentences are clean, it is strong at generating keywords, and above all, it makes things look convincing. The problem is that every job seeker is submitting glossy self-introduction letters. Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager. After reading one similar letter after another, wouldn't you be tempted to channel

2026.02.09 11:00

Misconceptions and Truths About the Fund-Type Retirement Pension System

The stock market is soaring. The KOSPI 5000 era, something we have never experienced before, was achieved at the very beginning of the year, fueling a strong upward trend. Meanwhile, as stock investment returns have risen, the low returns of retirement pensions are once again under scrutiny. The five-year average annual return of retirement pensions, a key source of retirement income for workers, stands at 2.86%, which is lower than the inflation rate?a point that continues to draw criticism. If we look more closely at the returns, this is only an average; for defined contribution (DC) plans, the top 1% of well-managed accounts have achieved returns as high as 22.7%. Since this is based on 2024 figures, returns would likely be even higher if calculated using the more active stock market of 2025. Returns vary depending on the products selected. Principal-guaranteed products have an average return in the 3% range, while performance-based products average around 9%, showing a significant

2026.02.02 11:00