Author Lee Pil-hyung, who conveyed the warm lives and landscapes of the people of Dongdaemun in “Walking through Dongdaemun,” has returned after three years with “Words Change the World.”


In "Words Change the World," the author talks about the power of words.
They say that the short, thoughtless words from adults who gave them strength in their childhood, lines from books or movies, those words helped them get up by tapping their knees whenever they fell, supported their backs when they faltered, and gave them the courage to take one more step forward in the face of fear of failure.


As we live, there are words that hurt, words that miraculously open the way, words heard in the earthy smell of the rice paddy ridges, words that comforted us in a small room, teachings from wise people we met along the way, and even voices engraved from encountering residents in the field. I wrote down the voices that filled every corner of my life.
The author confesses that it was not a huge event that changed his life, but a single line that shook his heart.
This book captures those moments.

As time passed, I realized that the feeling of inferiority from not being the main character actually set me free.
Being out of the center and out of the spotlight allowed me to observe others better and take in more of the scenery.
Being on the outskirts allowed me to understand more people and dream of a wider world.

--- p.26 From “Part 1_It’s Okay Even If You’re Not the Main Character”

If you are doing your best in your position today, that alone is a beautiful life.
It's okay if it's not perfect.
Even if you fall, just get up again.

--- p.101 From “Part 1_Living the Moment Fully”

Perhaps what we are missing is not something special, but the beauty of everyday life that has always been there.
The wonders of life are already unfolding everywhere you look.
The ability to see what was previously invisible is the magic that enriches life the most.

--- p.125 From “Part 2_Eyes that See the Invisible”

Raising the temperature of your heart is simpler than you think.
Listen to the other person's story, try to feel their feelings as if they were your own, and approach them even if it's awkward.
It's a story everyone knows.
But there is a world of difference between knowing and living.
So empathy is difficult.
The way we live together is so simple, yet putting it into practice is a lifelong task.
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-- p.137 From “Part 2_How to Raise the Temperature of Your Heart”

Listening is not mere silence, it is the most active engagement, the deepest empathy, and the greatest respect.
Listening not only to what the other person says but also what they don't say, reading not only the language but also the emotions hidden beneath it, seeing through not only the surface but also the essence beneath it - that is the true meaning of 'listening as if you know nothing.'

--- p.167 From “Part 2_Listening as if you know nothing”

The moment words leave our mouths, they roll like tiny snowflakes and have the power to change the world.
How many lives have been changed by Martin Luther King's words, "I have a dream."
How many American hearts were touched by Kennedy's words, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

--- p.195 From “Part 3_The Miracles Made by Words”

Sitting in the same spot and repeating the same movements every day can be a tedious task for some people.
But a true craftsman discovers something new every time through repetition.
The texture of the leather is different today than yesterday, and the humidity varies depending on the season, so the work method must be finely adjusted.
Above all, one's condition is directly reflected in one's work.
So the craftsman first governs himself.

--- p.295 From “Part 4_A Work Called Life”

True beauty does not lie in flashiness.
The authenticity created by time and the slowly accumulated weight of daily life give a sense of dignity to the space.
Some roads are long remembered, some are easily forgotten.
The difference is whether or not there is human warmth.
Every little thing we see and hear comes together to create living history.

--- p.318 From “Part 4_Walking the Path of Memory”