appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Zoey Zhang

Perfect attendance is traditionally seen as virtuous, and individuals who practise it are credited with good self-discipline and dedication to their obligations.
However, recent times have seen a change in attitudes towards achieving a balance between work, rest and play.
In South Korea, a trending perspective on social media platforms is that people who have more leisure time understand what life is really about.
For the younger generation, perfect attendance can suggest a single-minded pursuit of learning and earning, with no time or money left for travel or relaxation.
Recently, a father in South Korea posted on social media about his primary school son who was laughed at by classmates for being a “perfect attendance beggar”, according to Joongang Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper.

“My son cried yesterday, saying he was mocked by friends,” the father wrote.
He said his son’s school promotes extracurricular activities intended to broaden students’ experiences in diverse environments.
As a result, some classmates choose to take time off for travel, seeing perfect attendance as a constraint.
Understanding the situation, he arranged a local trip for his son, who insisted on travelling abroad.
“All my friends are going to Singapore or Hawaii. I don’t want to stay within South Korea, it’s embarrassing,” the boy said.
The father’s income is about three million won (US$2,200) a month, most of which goes towards family expenses, so he can ill afford to spend money on trips abroad.
Nevertheless, he decided to pay for his wife and son to travel while he stayed working in South Korea.
“It seems like the culture of comparison has reached its peak nowadays. Living is not easy,” he said.
South Korean scholars link the term “perfect attendance beggar” to societal pressures driven by materialism and fierce competition to succeed.
They often emphasise its negative psychological impact.
Song Jae-ryong, a sociology professor at Kyung Hee University, told Chosun Ilbo newspaper: “Overseas travel is still regarded as a way to showcase one’s status, leading to the emergence of derogatory terms like ‘perfect attendance beggar’.”
“This seems to originate from tendencies in South Korean society to display wealth and intense competitiveness.”

Kim Young-shin, a childhood studies expert at Korea Soongsil Cyber University said: “Children who hear words like ‘perfect attendance beggar’ during their formative years are likely to carry that stigma as a lifelong scar.”
A search by the Post found widespread criticism online of the concept of “perfect attendance beggar”.
“Why should hard work and perfect attendance be looked down upon now? This is crazy,” said one online observer.
“I find this heartbreaking. I hope everyone can take pride in their achievements from diligent work and school attendance,” another said.
“The person who coined the term ‘perfect attendance beggar’ is very selfish. They do not want to see others succeed,” a third person wrote.


How China’s ‘Excalibur of the East’ souvenir swords sparked airport security warning

This Edinburgh Chinese restaurant is dying. Meet the daughter using social media to save it

Japan Buddhist monk bar has heaven- and hell-inspired drinks, offers beating service

RFK Jnr posts video of him grabbing 2 snakes, as his wife asks ‘why?’

Viral stories

Who are ‘perfect attendance beggars’? South Korean youth who work and study, have no fun

As social attitudes change, the Post delves into the emergence of a negative term  in South Korea which labels people who apply themselves strictly to studies or work as “perfect attendance beggars”. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Traditionally, hard work was seen as a virtue in South Korea, but attitudes are changing. Photo: Shutterstock

Experts say that being labelled negatively for not travelling or taking time off can stigmatise young people for life. Photo: Shutterstock

Woman, 34, trapped in China psychiatric ward for a decade, family refuses to sign her out

A 34-year-old woman was left trapped inside a psychiatric hospital in China for years after she was declared medically fit because her family refused to sign her discharge papers. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

The woman could not leave the facility because her family refused to sign the documents required for her release. Photo: Shutterstock

The plight of the woman has sparked a wave of anger on mainland social media. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Lust, Caution’ China actress Tang Wei takes UK study break, makes award-winning comeback in South Korea

Chinese actress Tang Wei achieved international fame with her captivating performance in “Lust, Caution”, opted for a brief hiatus to pursue studies in the UK. Photo: SCMP composite/IMDb/Getty Images

Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Tang Wei in Lust, Caution (2007). Photo: Focus Features

Chinese actress Tang Wei poses during a photocall for the film Decision to Leave at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes on May 24, 2022. Photo: Loic Venance/AFP

Why Chinese superstition can predict future fortunes in the twitching of an eye

The Post finds out why, in China, a twitching eye can mean so much more than it does in other places. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Chinese folklore says timing and the position of a twitch is crucial to predicting future fortunes: Photo: Shutterstock

Not everyone buys into twitching fables, doctors say the phenomenon can be a health indicator. Photo: Shutterstock

China woman, 40, streaks through college campus in revenge against lover, 18, who ‘took her money’

A middle-aged woman in China has taken an extreme form of revenge against her teenage lover, by streaking through the college campus on which he studies. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo


The half-nude woman stormed onto the college campus in a bid to embarrass her ex-lover. Photo: X

An array of images of the couple appeared online prior to their split and the woman’s nude stunt. Photo: Weibo

‘Not our fault’: ex-top China athlete paralysed after brain operations inspires others

A former basketball star in China, who was dubbed the country’s most handsome athlete, has suffered partial paralysis as a result of cancer treatment, but not given up on life. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Wu underwent three rounds of surgery which have left him with distorted looks and other ailments. Photo: 163.com

At the height of his powers, Wu was lauded as China’s most handsome athlete. Photo: 163.com

News

People & Culture

Experts say fierce competition, materialism have negative psychological impact


South Koreans are straddling the chasm between traditional notions of what it means to be successful in life, with changing modern expectations.


South Korea

Trending in China

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)
 


Explainer

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Experts say fierce competition, materialism have negative psychological impact

Experts say fierce competition, materialism have negative psychological impact