Quotations of the day

A meal on the house only increased our elation. (Office worker Lee Jun-Sang Saturday, at a restaurant in Seocho-dong, Seoul, where the proprietor offered free food to customers to celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to President Kim Dae-Jung.)

The struggle of workers to win labor rights and that of farmers to gain remission of their debts and stave off the opening of the market to foreign produce also laid the groundwork for Korean democracy. (North Cholla provincial league to inherit the spirit of the democratization movement Sunday, calling for recognition of the struggle of workers and farmers as part of the campaign for democratization.)

It is fairly commonplace, so there is nothing to make much fuss about. (An official of the Wrestling Association Sunday, commenting on a series of brawls over referees' decisions during the National Games.)

A spate of sticking points deplete national energies, profoundly straining resources for the growth of national development strategies and policies. (An official of the International Financial Institute Sunday, predicting that overcoming Indonesia's current economic crisis will be extremely difficult.)

We must turn ourselves into grains of barley to serve and enrich the community. (Yu Haeng-Yeol, baking team chief of the North Chungchong provincial headquarters for the Korean Wheat Revival Movement Saturday, while distributing bread and flour to citizens to commemorate the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Kim.)