Rose of Sharon & Merchant Spirit
Like the strength of a Rose of Sharon, the Dongdaemun merchants could also be praised for being armed with a strong entrepreneurial spirit in a market like the battlefield. This flower, a Rose of Sharon (Mugunghwa), is the national flower of Korea, which blooms lushly from July till November. Beautiful, pure, well-bred, and tough, this flower resembles the national character of Koreans who have sustained independence and prosperity, defending against numerous foreign invasions in the long history of the nation. Any young Korean soldier, who went on a battlefield, sang a patriotic song, vowing to his mother that he would definitely win and back home. The song by Korean artist Sim Soo-bong, ‘the Mugunghwa,’ was sung as follows. “At that time, the flowers of Mugunghwa bloomed. The flowers bloomed to leave this word. With patience, anyone wins. Those who are not afraid of death gain. And it will be a lamp tomorrow.” + The praise song for Mugunghwa is a perfect match for the entreprene...