목마른 사람이 우물 판다
“The thirsty person is the one who digs the well.”
Whoever needs something most urgently is the one who must take the initiative to get it.
— 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.
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.
Gather specks of dust and you make a great mountain.
Small amounts, saved or accumulated consistently, add up to something great.
Even monkeys fall from trees.
Even an expert can make mistakes, so no one should be overconfident.
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.
A frog in a well.
Someone with a narrow, limited view of the world who is unaware of the wider reality.