[KS] Inquiry from a New York Times columnist

[Park, Eugene Y.]

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.

Gene

---
Eugene Y. Park
Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History
Director, James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies
University of Pennsylvania
https://www.sas.upenn.edu/ealc/people/eugene-y-park

From: Koreanstudies [mailto:koreanstudies-bounces at koreanstudies.com] On Behalf Of Don Baker
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2016 6:53 PM
To: Korean Studies Discussion List
Subject: Re: [KS] Inquiry from a New York Times columnist

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.)

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!

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.

Don


Don Baker
Professor
Department of Asian Studies
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z2
don.baker at ubc.ca<mailto:don.baker at ubc.ca>

________________________________
From: lieber at nytimes.com<mailto:lieber at nytimes.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2016 19:51:20 -0400
To: koreanstudies at koreanstudies.com<mailto:koreanstudies at koreanstudies.com>
Subject: [KS] Inquiry from a New York Times columnist
Hello -

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thanks so much...

Ron Lieber
The New York Times
Your Money columnist
lieber at nytimes.com<mailto:lieber at nytimes.com>
212-556-1514
http://nytimes.com/lieber
"The Opposite of Spoiled" is my book about how -- and why -- to talk to kids about money. For more information, visit http://oppositeofspoiled.com

Twitter: @ronlieber<https://twitter.com/ronlieber>

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