Jin-gook's Work Philosophy #9: Rest well to work well.
Jin-gook's Secrets to Working Well Playing One way to unwind is through our in-house clubs. These are activities that all employees can relate to and enjoy together—How to WorkSince “getting plenty of rest” was selected as the top priority, the company spares no effort in providing support for this.
Various media outletsA club with such a rich history and a strong fan base that it was even featured in *Edo*. With the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, it nearly faded into legend… but last June, Wadongso It has since been restored!
The second season of Wadiz Clubs has begun, featuring a mix of long-standing clubs that have been with us for years and new clubs launched with great excitement. If the keyword for the clubs before COVID-19 was “startup flair,” the keyword for this second seasonis“arts and sports.” Why arts and sports, you ask? If you look at just these seven clubs, this is basically Wadiz of Arts and Sports! 😆
As of September 2, 2022, based on the status of our in-house clubs, there are 157 unique members—excluding those with multiple memberships. That’s well over a third of our entire workforce, and these members are truly passionate about art and sports. Are you wondering if we forced them to join, like a scene from a famous drama? Once you discover the unique appeal Wadiz, you’ll never say that again. We’ll break down the clubs that have captivated so many of our members into two categories: Arts and Sports. In this section, we’ll introduce the arts clubs.
Flower Arranging Club "Hwatu"
To quote Jin-gook, our operations manager, Hwatu is a premium, high-quality flower arranging club with a long-standing tradition. Founded in December 2016, it’s now six years old. It’s the oldest club of its kind still in existence.
With the club temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, I thought it might become just a legend—something people would occasionally mention, like, “There used to be a Hwatu club back in the day…” But thanks to the unwavering passion and support of the Hwatu members, it has made a dramatic comeback. This was also made possible by the thoughtfulness of Jinguk, the club manager, who hopes that many Jinguk members will experience the joy that comes from flower arranging.
The reason the club is called “Hwatu” is because “everyone is fighting with flowers while maintaining an elegant expression.” When I first heard the name, I thought it referred to the card game where “a cold dagger flies and pierces the heart.” It wasn’t until Jin-guk, the club manager, told me it was a flower-arranging club that I finally understood the real meaning 😂
The "Jinguk-s" (?) fighting flowers with elegant expressions
Every month, Hwatu creates a new piece of art with a florist instructor. In July, we made a bouquet, and in August, we made a wreath. We were deeply moved by Jin-gook’s review of the August wreath-making session, so we’d like to share it with you.
“I was part of a flower arranging club at my previous company, too. After staring at a computer screen all day, arranging a single flower or a small plant is really therapeutic for me.”
This is especially true of the wreath I made in a flower arranging class last August. Making a wreath is a labor-intensive process. Just like a scholar heading to Hanyang to take the civil service exam would weave his straw sandals, you have to secure each stem, one by one, to the frame. By the time I’d finished the difficult task, I noticed that the scent of eucalyptus had permeated my clothes.
I’ve hung the wreath I made up nicely in my kitchen. I’m currently thinking about who to give my next piece to. I’m grateful to the company for offering such high-quality classes, and I’m always thankful to our chairman and the flower arranging instructor. I can’t wait for the September class to start!”
You mean this is possible on the very first day? The quality is so high, it could easily be sold at a premium right now!
Jin-gook is listed below
Music Club "Wadiz Group Sound"
The Wadongso event held at the Culture Center in June was bustling with people excited to welcome back the club after a two-year hiatus. Amidst the crowd, there was one club calmly emanating beautiful melodies. It was Wadiz Music Club, Wadiz Group Sound (hereinafter referred to as Wagsa), a group that performs ensemble pieces with instruments and voices, striving to become one through music.
No music, no life.
That’s Wagsa’s slogan. Just looking at the slogan, it might seem like a hardcore(?) music club with a motto like “Music or Death! An Unbreakable Alliance!” But actually, this slogan was created to express that we can’t even imagine life without music. That’s because every single Wagsa member is overflowing with love and passion for music.
On the Wagsa status board, members list the instruments they can play—such as keyboards and guitars—along with their roles and usernames. You’ll notice a few empty slots here and there, but that’s because Wagsa welcomes any genre of music and any instrument, regardless of skill level. So, there’s no slogan more fitting than “No music, No life.”
The look on Wagsa Jinguk's face radiates passion
Official activities are held once a week. However, that’s nowhere near enough to satisfy the passion of all Wagssa members. When the urge to practice strikes, we’ll even organize impromptu get-togethers. (Wagssa’s passion is so strong, it even beats out “Friday Night”🔥)
One of our members, Jin-gook, says that Wagsa has become a major source of joy in his life lately. He says he looks forward to Wednesdays, when the group meets, all week long. Perhaps thanks to this passion, he started learning to play the guitar when he joined Wagsa, and his skills have improved tremendously in just two months!
At our last meeting of the month, we also hold a small internal concert! During this event, members perform songs they’ve practiced over the past month, either solo or in small groups. Enjoying music while savoring a delicious dinner—it’s so romantic! 😍
Wagsah has a special role that you won't find in other music clubs.
"The Life of the Party"
Jin-gook, the life of the party, was personally recruited by Jin-gook, the operations manager, after he was so impressed by his singing skills at a karaoke session they attended together. The operations manager Jin-gook summed it up in one line: “I was blown away not just by his musical talent, but by his overwhelming ability to set the mood!” Apparently, the official theme song for Jin-gook, the party starter, is “I Like to Move It” from the Madagascar soundtrack! Just hearing the title gets you in the mood and paints a picture of Jin-gook, who’s as full of energy as a vitamin. (Ah, I like to move it! I like to move it, move it!)
Jin-gu, the life of the party, is a true all-rounder who excels not only as the "clown" of the group but also as a vocalist and guitarist!
Jin-gook, one of our staff members, invited everyone to come visit Wagssa anytime if you want to see the members’ passion, their love for music, and their rapidly improving skills. Before we go, let me give you a quick peek at what Wagssa is like. You’ll probably want to go right away! Everyone who wants to go with Jin-gook, gather ’round here!
👉 Click here to listen to Wagsa's beautiful melodies
"Wanadu" Art Club
“I hope to discover myself through painting, relieve stress, and foster positive communication with my colleagues through beautiful artwork.”
The company’s club bulletin board describes the founding purpose of the art club “Wanadu” as follows. During club meetings, Wanadu members seem truly happy, and they often comment that it’s a “healing experience.” While this may sound like a lofty goal, Wanadu is actually already fulfilling its mission quite well.
A rising star in the club scene! The art club “Wanadu” was founded this year. Jin-gook, who loves drawing, had been working on his own projects consistently. One day, he thought it would be nice to draw with a colleague. Another colleague, who was a big fan of Jin-gook’s artwork, heard the news and suggested starting a small in-house class. That’s how the Wanadu club was born.
Wanadu is led by Jin-gook, a natural talent and operations manager, who personally designs the curriculum and teaches the classes. Moving forward, they plan to select common themes—such as landscapes, flowers, and food—and guide students through hands-on exercises using iPads and oil pastels.
I'm really looking forward to seeing if Wadiz will give birth to the next Picasso, Manet, Monet, or da Vinci.
Jin-gook, who teaches you how to draw!
Wanadu embodies the message, “I can draw too! "Anyone Wadizcan draw." They introduced themselves as "a club where anyone can draw—as long as you can draw stick figures!" But when you see the artwork from Wana-do members, you can’t help but be intrigued, thinking, "Stick figures can improve this quickly?" Wana-do is even planning an in-house art exhibition! Judging by their work so far, they’d probably be able to charge admission 😉
Jin-gook, our operations manager, says he really enjoys seeing the amazing work created by Wanadu members!
From flowers and gardening to music and art! I’ve come to realize that there are so many talented and passionate people at JinGuk who are interested in enriching their daily lives through these clubs. I can’t help but wonder if these clubs might be the source of the cheerful and warm culture that permeates our workplace.
In the next section, I’ll introduce the clubs that focus on the “physical” side of the arts and sports spectrum. See you soon!
