Great men stories of today

There is a famous story about U.S. first president George Washington as a young boy. When he was six years old, he was playing with an ax when he cut a cherry blossom tree his father valued. As his father roared, George confessed his mistake in a frank manner. This episode is included in children's books teaching George Washington's story, but is actually a story made up by biographer Parson Weems. In his first edition published in 1800, this espisode was omitted. Six years later at his fifth edition Weems included this cherry blossom episode which contributed to the creation of myth.

Korean painter Kim Byung-jong wrote "My generation that was born in the ashes of the Korean War was raised by stories of historic figures. When I was young, I always woke up and saw biographies at bedside that my father left." His father was a painter himself and tried to teach him lessons in a tacit way. Back then, parents bought their children encyclopedia of great men in history. The publishers varied but the list of great men was substantially indifferent. Korean great men included Yi Sun-shin and King Sejong while Lincoln and Thomas Edison were favorite global figures.

With Korea gradually turning well off, the great men story reading culture gradually declined and was replaced by stories of celebrities, sports stars and successful businessmen. In 1982, the top five great men stories read by elementary, junior high and high school students were those of Yi Sun-shin, Edison, Marie Curie and Sinsaimdang. However, by 2016, the list was replaced by comedian Yoo Jae-seok ranking No. 1, football star Lionel Messi ranking the third, Kim Yu-na ranking fourth, football player Park Ji-sung at sixth, Usain Bold seventh, and baseball star Ryu Hyun-jin at 10th place. Yi Sun-shin and King Sejong each ranked eighth and 11th, respectively.

While post-war generation's parents aimed to build good character through great men stories, more recently, they are read for the purpose of seeking a good career path. In great men stories, some exaggeration and beautification are inevitable. There is particularly a risk if the person is still living since eval‎uations on them could change anytime. Before the thesis manipulation scandal happened, there were some dozen stories of Hwang Woo-seok. When President Park Geun-hye was elected, stories on her came out in cartoons. The title of the book was "Park Geun-hye, Leadership of Trust."