개천에서 용 난다
“A dragon rises from a small stream.”
A great and successful person can emerge from humble or poor origins.
— Traditional South Korea Wisdom, South Korea
Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from South Korea
After hardship comes joy.
Enduring difficulty patiently will eventually be rewarded with good fortune.
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Words that go out kindly are words that come back kindly.
If you speak politely to others, they will speak politely to you in return.
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Gather specks of dust and you make a great mountain.
Small amounts, saved or accumulated consistently, add up to something great.
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Even monkeys fall from trees.
Even an expert can make mistakes, so no one should be overconfident.
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Birds listen to daytime words and mice listen to nighttime words.
There are no true secrets, so be careful what you say because someone may always overhear.
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A frog in a well.
Someone with a narrow, limited view of the world who is unaware of the wider reality.
Traditional South Korea Wisdom
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