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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I wonder one factor to consider is the nature of the child’s transition toward being fully employed. I know that my father gave his first month’s salary to
his mother (who was a widow) when he got his first full-time job after graduation from university in 1958 in Seoul. For me, however, my long transition toward being a fully employed (i.e. a postdoc, followed by a tenure-track job) began at age 18 when I began
contributing toward my college education (BTW I left Korea at age 12 and was raised in the US) and gradually gained financial independence. Although my parents and I never experienced a ceremonious moment, of course we have celebrated other milestones in the
context of filial piety. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Gene<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">---<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Eugene Y. Park<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Director, James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">University of Pennsylvania<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">https://www.sas.upenn.edu/ealc/people/eugene-y-park<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> Koreanstudies [mailto:koreanstudies-bounces@koreanstudies.com]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Don Baker<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 22, 2016 6:53 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Korean Studies Discussion List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [KS] Inquiry from a New York Times columnist<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">I agree with what Ned and Clark have already told you. If my memory serves me right, this custom was being practiced when I first went to Korea in 1971 but, obviously, people
in jobs with low pay couldn’t afford to spend their entire first pay check on the parents. Those lucky enough to graduate from a university and land a decent paying job, however, often felt obligated to share that first pay check with their parents. I know
of one young Korean-American man who waited a while until he had enough money to buy his mom a new car (He still lived at home, so he didn’t have to worry about housing costs.) </span><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">My wife tells me that traditionally the first pay check was used to buy long johns to keep the parents warm on cold winter nights. I’m not sure if that aspect of the culture
survives, now that there is better heat in Korean homes! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">It’s good to keep in mind that some time-honoured customs survive longer in overseas communities (because Koreans outside of Korea make a special effort to maintain Korean
customs), so I’m not sure how much that custom is followed in Seoul today. Somebody who lives in Korea could provide more reliable information.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">Don<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><br>
Don Baker <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Professor<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Department of Asian Studies <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">University of British Columbia <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z2 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:don.baker@ubc.ca">don.baker@ubc.ca</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">From:
<a href="mailto:lieber@nytimes.com">lieber@nytimes.com</a><br>
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2016 19:51:20 -0400<br>
To: <a href="mailto:koreanstudies@koreanstudies.com">koreanstudies@koreanstudies.com</a><br>
Subject: [KS] Inquiry from a New York Times columnist<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Hello - <br>
<br>
My name is Ron Lieber, and I write the Your Money column for the New York Times -- all about anything and everything that hits you in the wallet. I write often about families and money -- how not just dollars but also wisdom and values are taught and passed
between generations. <br>
<br>
On that note, over the years Korean-American friends of mine have told me about a tradition where new college graduates (or teenagers or college students or even some older adults getting their first paychecks at a new, prestigious workplace) buy a gift for
their parents after they start their first full-time jobs. I've heard about everything from handing the entire paycheck over in cash to buying red thermal underwear for both parents or lingerie for their mothers.
<br>
<br>
I'm trying to trace the origins of this tradition and write about how different Korean and Korean-American families interpret it today. I think it's something that all young adults might want to mimic in some way, whatever their family background.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">If you can help, I'd be grateful for an email reply -- even if it's to share a story about a gift you've given or received.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><br clear="all">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Thanks so much...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Ron Lieber<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The New York Times<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Your Money columnist<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:lieber@nytimes.com" target="_blank">lieber@nytimes.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">212-556-1514<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="http://nytimes.com/lieber" target="_blank">http://nytimes.com/lieber</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">"The Opposite of Spoiled" is my book about how -- and why -- to talk to kids about money. For more information, visit
<a href="http://oppositeofspoiled.com" target="_blank">http://oppositeofspoiled.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><br>
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/ronlieber" target="_blank">@ronlieber</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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