Korean Sayings: Tigers

호랑이는 죽어서 가죽을 남기고 사람은 죽어서 이름을 남긴다

“A tiger leaves his skin behind him and a man leaves his name behind.”

In the Korean movie Once Upon A Time in the Battlefield (2003), General Gyebaek of Baekjae kills his entire family before his last battle against the Shilla kingdom, and says, “A tiger leaves his skin behind him while a man leaves his name behind.”

What does this phrase mean? A long time ago, a tiger skin was very expensive and rare (and it still is). Not only were tigers hard to kill, but a tiger skin served as a nice coat for winter. People realized that animals like tigers leave their precious skin behind after they die and bring benefits to society.

So, what about Mankind? Koreans taught their children that they should accomplish even greater works for society and leave their names behind. General Gyebaek must have felt the same when he killed his own family members and went to die on the battlefield. He tried to protect his people and the king of his country by raising his soldiers’ morale. He showed his determination by leaving nothing behind on the battlefield (not even his family), leaving his name to history when he died.

The first person to use this proverb is said to be a Chinese general named Wang Un Zang. He was a respectable general who began as a common soldier. Although a brave warrior, he was illiterate, so he left his words in proverbs, instead of in writing. He used to say, “A leopard leaves his skin and a man leaves his name behind.” When the expression spread to Korea, the leopard became a tiger.

When you want to show your determination for a great work to a Korean friend, use this saying.

호랑이를 잡으려면 호랑이 굴로 들어가야 한다.

To catch a tiger, you have to go to the tiger’s den.

Some Westerners like to say, “No pain, no gain.” Well, Koreans like to say, “To catch a tiger, you have to go to the tiger’s den.” This quote explains that without putting all of one’s might into a task, one cannot achieve what he or she aspires to accomplish.

Imagine what it takes to catch a tiger. First, you need to remember its sharp eyes and teeth. It would be really scary (and painful) to be bitten by a tiger. But you have a sick mother, and the tiger’s meat and skin would be enough to cure her illness. You should always risk something, like getting bitten, to earn something.

This quote’s origin comes from a man named Bancho of Han (China). Once in Korea, Bancho visited a neighbor province, Shinson in Kangwon-do, as a diplomat of Han. However, the king of Shinson treated him negligently, because at that same time he had a diplomat from Hyung-No, another province with military power well-known to the region. Irritated, Bancho conspired to attack Hyung-No with his own soldiers. In order to raise the soldiers’ morale, he used his famous quote. With such motivation, he and his troops went into Hyungno’s bivouac and launched a surprise attack during the night when the Hyung-no soldiers were asleep. Afterwards, Han was never underestimated, and its diplomats received a proper welcome.