[MANNAM] The Korean Culture Of “Woo-ri”

Hi, MANNAM International friends! How long have you been living in Korea? During your stay in Korea, what is the most frequently heard Korean word? As for me, one of the most frequently heard words is “Woo-ri”. “Woo-ri” means we, our, us, ours or ourselves. Koreans use “Woo-ri” so often that you can hear it whenever and wherever. “Woo-ri Na-ra (our country)”, “Woo-ri Seon-su (our athletes)” “Woo-ri Mal (our language)”, “Woo-ri Gul (our alphabet)”, “Woo-ri Ssal (our rice)” and so on.

In fact, you can say “Korea” instead of “Woo-ri Na-ra” or use “Korean Athletes” rather than “Woo-ri Seon-su”. There is no difference in meaning. However, when you hear “Woo-ri Na-ra”, “Woo-ri Seon-su”, or “Woo-ri Mal”, you can feel the Korean people’s love, responsibility, and loyalty to their country and cohesiveness, unity, and oneness among Korean people.

As members of MANNAM International Volunteer Association, we all work together to embody the spirit of pure volunteerism and promote unity among the peoples and the cultures of the world. In a word, MANNAM International is doing a great work not only for us but for the world.

To do a great work as a group, all MANNAM International members should be cohesive, united, and work as one. That is the culture of “Woo-ri”. Also, to do a great work for the world, we need love, responsibility, and loyalty to the world. That is the spirit of “Woo-ri”. Above all, the reason why MANNAM International does a great work for the world is there is only one world and it belongs to everyone in the world. In Korean, we can say “Woo-ri Se-gye (our world)”.