Accountant Sa Gyeong-in, "Exchanging money and time is for fake rich... Real rich people are those who balance them"

Accountant Sa Gyeong-in appeared on the YouTube channel 'Choe Jae-cheon's Amazon' operated by Professor Choe Jae-chun to talk about economic freedom, happiness, and the essence of wealth. In the video, Sa Gyeong-in mentioned the life satisfaction he feels while living on Jeju Island, along with the breadth of choices, which is more important than the size of income.

"Exchanging time and health for money is for fake rich"

Recalling the period when he earned significant income as an instructor, Sa Gyeong-in explained the limitations brought by the choice to exchange time and health to earn money. He revealed that he decided to change his way of life after feeling that his body did not move as it used to in the past. According to the explanation in the video, Sa Gyeong-in said that if the act of investing time and health to earn money is repeated, the range of choices an individual can make may narrow, and freedom may be limited. He defined those who are not free and not happy even if they possess a lot of money as 'fake rich,' and explained that balancing the three elements of money, time, and health is the condition for being 'real rich.'

The correlation between economic constraints and freedom

The two interlocutors also discussed the concept of 'freedom' that humans pursue. Sa Gyeong-in explained the reason why humans desire freedom by linking it to survival. He mentioned that as the number of alternatives one can choose increases, the possibility of survival increases, and joy is felt from this. In particular, he pointed out that economic constraints are one of the main causes that prevent individuals from making the choices they want. He emphasized that in youth, people often have time and health but lack money, resulting in a narrow range of choices, and conversely, even if one becomes economically wealthy, it is difficult to enjoy freedom if time and health do not support it. He also mentioned the phenomenon in South Korean surveys where money takes an overwhelming first place as a condition for happiness, and stressed the necessity of economic freedom to escape the constraints of economic choices.

Two habits to pass down to children

In response to questions about child education, the educational philosophy practiced by Sa Gyeong-in was revealed. He said that the two most important things parents can give to children in the AI era are 'the habit of reading books' and 'the habit of exercising.' He stated that he also considered these educational values during the process of deciding to move to Jeju Island. However, regarding the realistic conflicts arising from differences in educational views with his spouse, he added that it is important for a couple to primarily share the same philosophy and goals when making decisions. He explained that through his book 《Real Rich, Fake Rich》, he intended to present a model of a 'low-income rich' person—a life where one can pursue dreams using their own time even if their income level is low.