Nunchi - Korean's secret to happiness | Korean parents

According to Euny Hong, author of the book "The Power of Nunchi: The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success", nunchi is the art of understanding what others are thinking and feeling.

Koreans teach about nunchi from an early age. Ms. Euny Hong said that Korean children know the word nunchi from the age of three.

“If everyone was standing on the right side of the elevator and a child was lounging around on the left, the parent would say, 'Why don't you have nunchi?'. It's a reminder not to be rude," Hong said.

Nunchi applies to every aspect of life, from weddings to job interviews. In terms of behavior, nunchi means to pay attention to who is talking, who is listening, who is apologizing, who is rolling their eyes... From there, an individual can judge the relationship and hierarchy in a group of people to have proper manners.

Koreans do not judge who has "good nunchi" but instead possess "quick nunchi" - the equivalent of the ability to quickly and appropriately handle social information.

The Guardian (UK) said that it seems that people who own "quick nunchi" often have a chance to succeed in any environment because they are easier to adapt and create better relationships.

“Basically, people will be happier around you if you have nunchi quickly,” commented Ms. Hong. She also believes that nunchi is not only beneficial to individuals but also is the factor that makes Korea grow rapidly from one of the poorest countries in the world to the high-income country it is today.