Chusok: Happy Thanksgiving! 

Soruce: pixabay

Chusok is August 15^th in the lunar calendar. It is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox and in archaic Korea was called hankawi meaning 'dividing the fall in half'.  Because it is determined by the lunar calendar, the date varies in the Gregorian calendar from late September to mid-October.  In 2021, Chusok falls on 21 September. 

Chusok is one of the biggest holidays of the year (together with Lunar New Year).  It is a time of celebration.  In traditional agrarian Korea, it was a time of plenty.  The rice harvest was in and there was fresh fruit in abundance.  The weather is pleasant, warm, sunny and clear. It was also when families get together in their home towns to pay respect to their ancestors and together enjoy the abundance of fresh food.  Chusok remains an especially a good time for children, the elderly and the menfolk. Children are indulged, the elderly enjoy their status and the men sit around and watch TV. 

Traditionally, it was another story for Korean women. Chusok was a burden. The brunt of the chores fell on the shoulders of the woman of the house who in turn enslaved her daughters-in-law.  It was their job to see that all the (often tedious) delicacies were prepared and the whims of the elderly and men were attended to. The other daughters-in-law also carried their share but the eldest bore the brunt.  (We know a world renown pediatrician who at Chusok found herself up to her elbows washing cabbage and chopping garlic in her mother-in-law's kitchen like a common servant!)

Young adults hated Chusok too. They shuddered at running the gauntlet of personal questions hurled at them about marriage, children or professional status. For the singles, it's usually "When are you getting married?" Young couples were quizzed about their reproductive plans.  "When are you going to have children?"  Just when you think you were safe, "How come you don't have a better job?" Young people of both sexes were compared (unfavorably of course) to their peers: "Young-ju's wife is pregnant!" "Hee-sung just got a job at Samsung; I hear it is quite an important position!" "Kwan-sup just bought his parents a new car!" 

IRC has been advising Western companies on optimizing their operations in Korea for four decades.  An important service is to coach foreign business executives to navigate local cultural issues. Clients are advised to faithfully respect local customs. Foreign business visitors who encroach on this holiday are warned that their trip is likely to damage rather than enhance local relationships.  "Chusok is sacred".  We recall one year recently when Chusok fell at the end of September and a global foreign financial firm was scheduled for its quarterly closing; reports from all daughter companies were due by the 3^rd of October. There were no exceptions. The European headquarters had no sensitivity to Chusok. The local entity had no choice but to require the accounting department to work through the holidays.  We coached our client on effective communication, dealing with objections and other tactics to mitigate anticipated resistance.  Contrary to expectations, the accounting staff (which was primarily populated by young women), rather than protesting was ecstatic.  What better excuse to avoid being a slave in the kitchen! "Sorry Mom, I have to work."

It is important to be aware of tradition and culture but Korea is changing rapidly so it is equally important to be alert to and adjust to changes. Chusok remains an important holiday but the celebration has evolved. The connection to the land is now separated by one or two generations. The status of women has undergone a liberation.  (Now, it seems that sometimes the men are the slaves!) Households are smaller and the extended family is declining in importance.  Many Koreans opt to enjoy their Chusok holiday by travelling abroad.  Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has made large gatherings more difficult.

Koreans are known to be diligent, dedicated, hard-working people.  While this remains largely true, a wave of change is sweeping over the land.  The new generations, be they X, Y or Z, increasingly forge their own path.  Stay tuned for our next post to learn about SamPoJa (삼포자), the "three rejections" that characterize young people today. When seeking to achieve your ambitious targets in Korea, let IRC guide your way.