Phrase for 2008: `Person of good character`

The phrase of hope for 2008 is “Gwangpoong jewol,” or a person with good character like wind on a fine day and moonlight on a clear sky.

The daily Kyosu Shinmun last month conducted a survey of its own staff writers, columnists at major newspapers, chairmen of major academic committees and the chairman of a national association of professors to come up with the phrase of the year. Thirty-two percent of 340 respondents chose “Gwangpoong jewol."

The phrase was coined by a Chinese poet from the Northern Song Dynasty, Haung Ting-jian, to describe the personality of the Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi. It was later used to denote a person of good character or a well-governed country.

Jeong Jae-so, a Chinese literature professor at Ewha Womans University, said, “I hope 2008 will be a year where we resolve many difficult problems we’ve faced so far and usher in a bright new future. That’s why I chose the phrase.”

Finance and insurance professor Lee Jeong-ho of Mokwon University said, “I chose the phrase in the hope that we can overcome conflict between classes and social polarization, and tackle the discord during the presidential election and the economic slowdown for a more developed Korea.”

passion@donga.com