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Professors wish 2014 to be year of attaining truth

December 31, 2013

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By Nam Hyun-woo

Professors picked the four-character Chinese idiom 轉迷開悟 (jeonmigaeoh), meaning one being disillusioned from fallacy and realize truth, as a phrase to characterize 2014.
The phrase is based on the Buddhist teaching of being freed of anguish caused by delusions and reaching nirvana.

According to Professors Times, Tuesday, 170 out of 617 surveyed professors at universities in Korea chose the phrase as this year’s one. The professors’ journal picks the characterizing phrase of the coming year at the end of each year.

Prof. Moon Sung-hoon of Seoul Women’s University, said “I recommended this phrase in a sense to promote people to be freed from falsehoods and move forward in 2014.”

Prof. Park Jae-woo at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies said, “The meaning of politics is to correct wrongdoings.” He said he picked the phrase in a wish to “get out of lie-riddled 2013 and march into 2014 in which truth and honesty triumph.”

Following the phrase, 激濁揚淸 (gyeoktakyangcheong) was the second most-voted phrase with 147 professors casting their votes. It means letting go muddy water and letting clean water to flow.

The journal said, “The phrases reflect professors’ critical view on corrupt and unproductive politicians.”