‘Nunchi’, the Korean Secret to a Happier Life

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

When I first heard about the mysterious concept of ‘nunchi’, I immediately discarded it as self-help brain sugar.

It sounded like one of those catchy ideas people abuse to justify writing a book. We all love our oriental promises of eternal youth and peace of mind, don’t we?

As promises go, ‘nunchi’ is an absolute all-star.

So far, I’ve heard people refer to it as a “sixth sense” and “a Korean superpower.” Houston, we have a winner.

Another secret to eternal happiness?

Unsurprisingly, there is a book at the centre of this fuss.

It’s written by someone named Euny Hong, who’s done a pretty good run across media outlets promoting the book and the concept itself.

Many articles refer to nunchi as a “secret to happiness and success” that Korean people have nursed for centuries. A secret which supposedly accounts for South Korea’s rags-to-riches story.

It was at this point that I concluded nunchi to be one of those vague concepts that try to explain everything, and end up explaining nothing.

Korea was shaped by war and capitalism, not some made up philosophy that sounds like a ramen brand. I’ll buy your book, just leave me alone.