홍익인간 弘益人間 (Hong Yik In Gan)
“Hong Yik In Gan” is currently the formal motto of the Republic of Korea (or Daehan Minguk). The word Hong (弘) means “widespread,” Yik (益) means “to benefit,” and In Gan(人間) loosely means mankind. (However, the direct translation of 人間 is “between humans.”) Therefore, if we put all the letters together, it makes the meaning: to “Benefit All Mankind.”
The origin of this quote goes back to 2333 BC, when Korea’s first dynasty (the Go- Jo Sun) was built. This quote is from a myth that is so familiar to Korean people, the Dan Gun Myth.
Once upon a time, the son of god, Hwan Oong, descended from the heavens to rule mankind. He landed on Tae Baek Mountain and took care of 360 things related to mankind, like punishment, disease and food. One day, a tiger and a bear visit Hwan Oong and they plead with him to turn them into humans. Hwan Oong challenges them with difficult tasks, living in a cave for 100 days without sunlight or meat but with only garlic and herbs. The tiger ran away after a few days, but the bear waited patiently and became a beautiful woman. This is Oong Nye, “a bear woman” from the direct Korean translation.
After becoming a human, the bear woman prays under the holy tree everyday to plead to the god to give her a child. Hwan Oong felt some responsibility because he originally planned to make the tiger marry the bear, but it did not work out because the tiger ran away. Feeling her strong will, Hwan Oong decides to marry her and give her a child. Oong Nye gave birth to her son, “Dan Gun.” Dan Gun became the first king of Go-Jo Sun. He then makes eight laws to govern the human society and additionally creates the motto of Hong Yik In Gan.
As if to support the motto, the Dan Gun myth is not violent at all. There is no conflict between a god and a human, or between humans. Even the tiger and the bear do not fight against each other inside the cave. The overall story is very peaceful, although mystical. In addition, all the characters of myth yearn to be with mankind. Although Hwan Oong is the son of god, he descends from the sky to be with humans. The tiger and bear both yearn to become humans themselves. The quote also shows Koreans’ hope for peace and harmony. From the ancient days, the lesson has taught rulers to take care of their people, sons and daughters to take care of their parents, and subjects to serve the ruler faithfully to make a better government. In other words, Hong Yik In Gan carries multiple meanings like love, caring and loyalty. This motto is the paradigm of the spirit of Korea.
Later, Hong Yik In Gan became the key philosophy of Korean education, because although it was a founding principle of the nation, it still held value in democracy and Buddhism, which values mercy. This quote is quite interesting because it is not alleging a national/ racial superiority or national competition (just like what happened to be the motto of modern world capitalism) but instead, it emphasizes love and sharing for all mankind, in or outside of Korea.