--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After years in the Chinese workforce, I…" description: "\"“After years in the Chinese workforce, I had developed an emotional attachment to money. My earnings were my hard work and long hours; my savings were ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/hyeonseo-lee-20795_korea_after-years-in-the-chinese-workforce-i-h_2716230.jpg" --- # After years in the Chinese workforce, I had developed an… ![“After years in the Chinese workforce, I had developed an emotional attachment to money. My earnings were my hard work and long hours; my savings were comforts deferred. North Koreans have no way to relate to this. In the outside world, they believe, money is plentifully available to all.” quote by Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/hyeonseo-lee-20795_korea_after-years-in-the-chinese-workforce-i-h_2716230.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/hyeonseo-lee-20795_korea_after-years-in-the-chinese-workforce-i-h_2716230.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/hyeonseo-lee-20795_korea_after-years-in-the-chinese-workforce-i-h_2716230.jpg) > ““After years in the Chinese workforce, I had developed an emotional attachment to money. My earnings were my hard work and long hours; my savings were comforts deferred. North Koreans have no way to relate to this. In the outside world, they believe, money is plentifully available to all.”” [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. After years in China, the author values money, but North Koreans lack that concept, seeing money as abundant elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Money is valued differently across cultures. Key Takeaway Understand cultural views on wealth. Themes culture economics perception migration Mood thoughtful analytical empathetic Type sociological economic When to use this quote - immigration - economic policy - personal finance - cross‑cultural work Key Concepts value systems scarcity vs abundance social adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How does culture shape money perception? - What challenges arise when values clash? A Different Perspective Economic concepts differ widely; not universal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Koreans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/koreans/) [Long hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-hours/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [North korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korean/) [Outside world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) ## Related quotes > [“ I don't understand why you keep saying such awful things about Koreans. About yourself. I will do it before anyone else can. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-don-t-understand-why-you-keep-saying-such-awful-things-about/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [The remarkable thing about the Chinese is that they've operated differently than the Russians, the Iranians, and the North Koreans. By and large, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/the-remarkable-thing-about-the-chinese-is-that-they-ve-operated/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [“If North Koreans paused to contemplate the obvious inconsistencies and lies in what they were told, they would find themselves in a dangerous place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-demick/if-north-koreans-paused-to-contemplate-the-obvious-inconsistencies/) [Barbara Demick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-demick/) > [We are hopeful that the North Koreans can show a little bit more realism, a little bit more flexibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/we-are-hopeful-that-the-north-koreans-can-show-a-little-bit-more/) [Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/) > [If the United States is accommodating, the North Koreans become accommodating. If the United States is hostile, they become hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-the-united-states-is-accommodating-the-north-koreans-become/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Like every country, North Korea has some very smart people. They could be contributing a lot more to science and other areas, but North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/like-every-country-north-korea-has-some-very-smart-people-they-could/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [We want to have diplomatic engagement with the North Koreans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-ortagus/we-want-to-have-diplomatic-engagement-with-the-north-koreans/) [Morgan Ortagus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-ortagus/) > [I think the notion of getting the North Koreans to denuclearize is probably a lost cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clapper/i-think-the-notion-of-getting-the-north-koreans-to-denuclearize-is/) [James Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clapper/) > [In North Koreans, the moment we are born, we don't know there's another life existing outside of our country. The regime always told us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/in-north-koreans-the-moment-we-are-born-we-don-t-know-there-s-another/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Some day, somebody is going to have to start talking about what happens to us all a decade from now if we let these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/some-day-somebody-is-going-to-have-to-start-talking-about-what/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [Yes, I don't believe that the inter-Korean relationship has, quote, 'deteriorated' since I assumed office. Rather I believe that the relationship between the two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-myung-bak/yes-i-don-t-believe-that-the-inter-korean-relationship-has-quote/) [Lee Myung-bak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-myung-bak/) > [“Kim Jong-il also invented the hamburger. Almost touchingly, North Koreans have a lot of pride in their heritage, though it’s for absurd reasons. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euny-hong/kim-jong-il-also-invented-the-hamburger-almost-touchingly-north/) [Euny Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euny-hong/) > [The North Koreans or Chinese may have a million men in uniform but it's about how you perform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/the-north-koreans-or-chinese-may-have-a-million-men-in-uniform-but-it/) [Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/) > [Again, I think we have much greater diplomatic weight by having all of us sit on the same side of the table wanting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/again-i-think-we-have-much-greater-diplomatic-weight-by-having-all-of/) [Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/) > [They're very dogmatic. The North Koreans, they are very programmed, they have their policy statements they don't want to diverge from. They're very doctrinaire.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-richardson/they-re-very-dogmatic-the-north-koreans-they-are-very-programmed-they/) [Bill Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-richardson/) ## More by Hyeonseo Lee > [“The strength of my parents’ feelings for each other, however, was a worry to my grandmother. She warned them that if a couple loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/the-strength-of-my-parents-feelings-for-each-other-however-was-a/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“He’d valued his dignity more than his own life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/he-d-valued-his-dignity-more-than-his-own-life/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“It was the dilemma all three of us had. Every choice we made cut us off permanently from someone we loved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/it-was-the-dilemma-all-three-of-us-had-every-choice-we-made-cut-us/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“This was the first time I had ever known that North Korea has gay people. I am embarrassed to admit that I had thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/this-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-known-that-north-korea-has-gay/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“There was just one problem, however, and it was a major one. I wasn’t choosing any of this. It was all happening to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/there-was-just-one-problem-however-and-it-was-a-major-one-i-wasn-t/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Most of the brokers who help defectors are human traffickers. They help women escape, not men. They’re paid to bring us to China either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/most-of-the-brokers-who-help-defectors-are-human-traffickers-they/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“I had to learn Mandarin. And I had the best teacher – necessity. You can study a language for years at school, but nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/i-had-to-learn-mandarin-and-i-had-the-best-teacher-necessity-you-can/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“In her world, the law was upside down. People had to break the law to live. The prohibition on drug-dealing, a serious crime in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/in-her-world-the-law-was-upside-down-people-had-to-break-the-law-to/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“I’ll do whatever it takes. Humans are selfish and care only for themselves and their families. Am I any different?… Not only did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/i-ll-do-whatever-it-takes-humans-are-selfish-and-care-only-for/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Not only did I believe that humans were selfish and base, I also knew that plenty of them were actually bad – content to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/not-only-did-i-believe-that-humans-were-selfish-and-base-i-also-knew/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Sixty thousand yuan – a fortune representing ten years’ wages at the restaurant – and a week’s imprisonment with the threat of rape, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/sixty-thousand-yuan-a-fortune-representing-ten-years-wages-at-the/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Every so often the authorities registered voters in order to find out who was missing and why. I had turned eighteen and was old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/every-so-often-the-authorities-registered-voters-in-order-to-find-out/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“At the end of that first year at secondary school the ceremonies held on the anniversary of the Korean War affected me deeply and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/at-the-end-of-that-first-year-at-secondary-school-the-ceremonies-held/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Afterwards, wedding photographs were taken, as was customary, at the feet of the great bronze statue of Kim Il-sung on Mansu Hill. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/afterwards-wedding-photographs-were-taken-as-was-customary-at-the/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“It’s funny how the final straw is invariably a trivial incident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/it-s-funny-how-the-final-straw-is-invariably-a-trivial-incident/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) [Explore all 30 Hyeonseo Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) ## More Korea quotes > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country. It is more like leaving another universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/leaving-north-korea-is-not-like-leaving-any-other-country-it-is-more/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [All the people in Korea are cheering me like I'm a gold medalist or something, so I have a responsibility to my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/all-the-people-in-korea-are-cheering-me-like-i-m-a-gold-medalist-or/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) > [During the periods when South Korea played a more active role, the inter-Korean relationship was more peaceful, and there was less tension between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/during-the-periods-when-south-korea-played-a-more-active-role-the/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [North Korea is still my homeland, my country. I suffered on the outside because I was alien, without identity. I was nobody. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-still-my-homeland-my-country-i-suffered-on-the-outside/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The Globe reports that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il raises money by selling fake Viagra pills. What it is about this guy? None of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-globe-reports-that-north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-il-raises-money/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [At independence Kenya's economic indicators were equal to those of South Korea, but 45 years down the road, Korea's economy is 40 times that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raila-odinga/at-independence-kenya-s-economic-indicators-were-equal-to-those-of/) [Raila Odinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raila-odinga/) > [“If you took some North Korean songs and replaced Kim Il Sung with God or Jesus it would sound exactly like a Christian hymn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-kim/if-you-took-some-north-korean-songs-and-replaced-kim-il-sung-with-god/) Mike Kim > [Pyongyang possesses thousands of artillery pieces 30 miles from Seoul. 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Governments are realizing the power of this medium to organize people and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-brin/we-ve-seen-a-massive-attack-on-the-freedom-of-the-web-governments-are/) [Sergey Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-brin/) [Browse all 949 Korea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After years in the Chinese workforce, I had developed an emotional attachment to money. My earnings were my hard work and long hours; my savings were comforts deferred. North Koreans have no way to relate to this. 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