[토픽] 2nd Topic [18th Mar.]

[Brett]

[Trending] #Small but certain happiness #小確幸

By Park Ju-young

• Published : Mar 11, 2018 - 17:38
• Updated : Mar 11, 2018 - 17:56

Ever heard the Korean phrase “sohwakhaeng”? The phrase, which means “small but certain happiness,” is currently trending here

and simply refers a small piece of happiness that can be easily found in daily life. 
The concept of the keywords were first introduced in a 1986 essay by Japanese author Murakami Haruki called “Afternoon in the

Islets of Langerhans,”(췌장 내부의 조직의 하나.인슐린 분비) where he described a small piece of happiness as eating a freshly-baked loaf of bread with one’s hands, seeing neatly folded underwear in a drawer, wearing a new shirt that smells like clean cotton and

letting a cat enter into a bed with a rustling sound.

These days, having a beer with close friends, drinking a cup of coffee in the afternoon or taking a relaxing bath after a long day could be a small but certain happiness. While they are not a big deal, they have the ability to brighten up a day.
When the phrase “sohwakhaeng” is searched on Instagram, more than 27,700 posts can be found with various photos showing how

people enjoy their own small piece of happiness.

“I’m now drinking a cup of coffee that I brewed at home, with Hyukoh’s music

and nice spring sunshine,” Instagram user “Salguzzam” said, posting a picture

of oranges, slices of toast and a cup of coffee with the hashtag “small but certain happiness.” The picture garnered over 160 likes in an hour.

“Eating a warm scone with a Venti cup size of Starbuck’s Cool Lime Fizzio extra sparkling,” another Instagram user said, with a photo of freshly baked scones

and the same hashtag.

The trend also affects consumer’s buying habits. Kim Nan-do, a professor at

Seoul National University, picked the phrase as one of the most important

keywords to understand the consumption trends of 2018.

“We are living in a time where hopes for a better tomorrow have been gradually faded,” Kim said at a book launching event. “But

people would never give up on being happy, so they are more likely to rely on a small happiness and small hopes.”

Kim Na-kyung, a 24-year-old office worker, said she feels truly happy when she buys emoticons on Kakaotalk. She regularly browses Kakaotalk’s store to check out newly-released emoticons to pick one to purchase.
“A set of emoticons only costs like 2,000 won ($1.8) on average, but it makes me full of happiness when I buy the new one and send it to my friends,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

By Park Ju-young (jupark@heraldcorp.com)

[Source] The Korea Herald

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180311000255

[Question]

1. Have you ever heard about this word, 'Sohwakhaeng'?

2. Have you read the book, "Afternoon in the Islets of Langerhans"? or watched the movie, "Little Forest"?

    And would you introduce this kind of book or movie?

3. In the meantime, what is the big happiness that people chase?

4. In UN happiness report, S.Korea is ranked 57th among 156 countries. 1st Finland, 2nd Norway and 3rd Denmark.

    Why do S.Koreans feel less happiness than other developped countries?

    (4th Iceland, 5th Switzerland, 6th Netherland, 7th Canada, 8th New Zealand, 9th Sweden and 10th Austrailia)

    (US in 18th, Japan in 54th, China in 86th)

5. Do you have your Small but certain happiness? What makes you happy in your daily life?

6. If you have no Sohwakhaeng, how about having one? Would you try to look for one today?

    (ex. small trip, having your place to take a rest, chatting with friends or excercise?)