[MANNAM] Korean Culture: What Do You Exchange with your Neighbor?

[MANNAM] Korean Culture: What Do You Exchange with your Neighbor?

In modern life, what did you exchange with people today? Money? Products? Or Ideas?

Here is something special to exchange in Korean culture. I will give you a hint. It’s invisible.

In rural areas, neighbors help out on each other’s farm. Helping each other’s works for nothing, we called it “Pum At-i.” “Pum At-i.” means exchange of labor. “Pum” is “work”. “At-i” is “exchange”.   

As developing the tertiary industry, agriculture has declined in Korea. Therefore it is uncommon now like before but it is still exist with the other shape of “Pum At-i.” For example, helping friend in moving to new house, making kimchi together(usually make more than 10 heads of napa cabbage each house at once), featuring in album without no money, etc.

We have regarded mutual help as a virtue. In company, there is a Mutual Aid Society. If some employee has a family event like funeral or wedding. Mutual Aid Society attend and help him.

When I was a kid, I remember my neighbor who was genial middle aged women. She was willing to take care of me in place of hospitalized my mother. After mom came back from hospital, mom said to her “I am so appreciate your help. I don’t know how to repay you for this.” She said, “We need more mutual help in adversity.”

This spirit of mutual help and “Pum At-I” is what the root of MANNAM. MANNAM is exchanging not only labor also a warm heart. Let’s suppose we exchange a warm heart. so all of people got warm heart. Isn’t it easier to make world peace?