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50+ Quotes | Agency (2023)

Here’s a collection of quotes from the Korean drama, Agency (2023):

“When you express your happiness, you get more depressed when you fail.” – Go A In

  • “A person should do what they are good at, instead of what they like.” – Go A In
  • “Sometimes, hope can mislead you into thinking that you can achieve your dream.” – Go A In
  • “Do you hammer a nail with a saw? Use the saw to finish the job first, then nail in your position with a hammer.” – Mr. Choi
  • “It’s hard to express your feelings when it’s pricey. If you like it, you may seem superficial. And if you dislike it, you may seem tacky.” – Go A In

“You don’t climb up the ladder with skills.” – Yoo Jeong Seok

  • “Experience is just as important as skills to clients.”
  • “When it rains, it’s only right to get soaked.” – Go A In
  • “It’s humiliating to run away. But it’s necessary to survive.” – Yoo Jeong Seok

“There are people who become more spiteful when they lose. They are the ones who made history. And I’m planning to do the same. I’ll make history.” – Go A In

  • “Just because you work for an ad agency doesn’t mean you have to be creative.”
  • “I guess the only road to success is to stay single.” – Cho Eun Jeong
  • “Humans are simple. They obey the ones in power.” – Go A In

“If you can’t have everything, you have to take half.” – Go A In

“We work with our skills, not our loyalty.” – Go A In

  • “Those who wait think about the faults of those that made them wait.” – Go A In
  • “When there’s a storm, you realize the difference between a sheltered flower and a wildflower.” – Go A In
  • “If we become friends, I’m afraid that you’ll hate me.” – Young Go A In
  • “If I forgive everything, what is left of me?” – Go A In
  • “I’m more afraid of being late to work than an empty stomach.” – Cho Eun Jeong
  • “There’s always a reason behind unorthodox behaviors.”

“When there’s an intimidating outside force, those inside tend to unify. That works especially well with motivation.” – CEO Cho

“One needs to know the rules, but forget them in order to find the answer.” – CEO Cho

“You can imitate mistakes but you can’t imitate success.” – Grandpa

“When you fail, you become a con artist. But when you succeed, you become an inspiration. Life is all about results.” – Grandpa

  • “First impression is important.” – Kang Han Na
  • “Not all servants are the same. There are clever servants who are smarter than their owners.” – Grandpa
  • “Don’t try your best. I hate those who try so hard when they’re not talented. Just be the best.” – Go A In
  • “With your level of experience, I’m sure you know that looks are as important as the essence of our work.” – Go A In

“If there’s a certain image that the clients want from us, it’s our job to reflect that image.” – Go A In

  • “Isn’t that exhausting? You laugh then cry. You’re happy then sad. That’s energy-consuming.” – Go A In
  • “We live a bitter life. So how do you hold up if you only eat bitter things?” – Cho Eun Jeong
  • “You should always check the water before diving in.” – Yoo Jeong Seok
  • “We shouldn’t fail to do our jobs due to personal grudges.” – Go A In

“We don’t always have to stick to the norm when there’s an alternative.” – Go A In

  • “Those who stand out tend to get criticized more than others. Because they’re special.” – Kim Seo Jeong
  • “A business is about discovering new paths.” – Grandpa
  • “When they are offered a prize, they get too excited and fail to achieve their goal.” – Grandpa
  • “Two enemies cooperating won’t lead anywhere. They’ll fall apart.” – Kang Han Na
  • “Your best option depends on the situation.” – Go A In
  • “If it’s too vague, the public won’t get the message. If it’s too clear, it’ll backfire.” – Go A In
  • “Only pathetic bosses snap at their team members.” – Go A In
  • “When you lose something, you always gain something else.” – Go A In

“An advertisement is like a love letter, specified for someone. There’s no use in writing a lot of love letters when you don’t know the recipient.” – Go A In

  • “Only chasing after ideals may mess up your reality.” – Kang Han Na
  • “If you make a habit of making compromises with reality, you’ll really mess up your life.” – Go A In
  • “Too greedy is how one would describe the ambitions of the ignorant and incompetent.” – Go A In
  • “You shouldn’t just hand her the fish. You should teach her how to catch one.” – Mr. Park
  • “When you get in the middle of a big fight, you either get crushed or you end up winning.” – Go A In

“If you’re nervous, you have to overcome it as you present. It’ll become a trauma if you keep avoiding it.” – Go A In

“Do you know what kind of employees survive at a company where people get fired for minor mistakes and where they must walk on eggshells around the owners? The incompetents. Those who brown-nose and play politics for their promotion. Next thing you know, there are no competent employees left in your company. They face a grim future and leave or office politics force them out.” – CEO Cho

“If you keep working without getting any rest, do you know what happens? You become a CEO. But do you know what CEO also stands for? You will cease to exist in this world. Before you become the CEO of a company, you can end up dying first.” – Yoo Jeong Seok

  • “You work to live, not live to work.” – Yoo Jeong Seok
  • “What’s the point of getting promoted? You can’t even sleep because you’re so anxious.” – Psychiatrist
  • “If work is hard, you should ask for a raise.” – Go A In
  • “I have good looks, so it’s okay for me to talk ugly.” – Go A In
  • “Everyone calls you crazy. But I like that about you. You’re unpredictable.” – Mr. Park

“You get paid because the work is tough. If it’s fun and relaxing, do you think they’d pay you?” – Go A In

Genre: Office, Drama
Also known as: Advertising Agency, Ad Agency
Synopsis: An office drama about a woman from a poor family without the best academic background who becomes the first female executive at a major advertising agency resulted from her hardwork and passion for success.
No of episodes: 16
Cast: Lee Bo-young, Jo Sung-ha, Son Na-eun, Han Joon-woo, Jeon Hye-jin
Writer: Song Soo-han
Director: Lee Chang-min
Network: JTBC
Streaming platform: Viki; Available now on Netflix
Date: January 7, 2023

Netflix subtitle translation:
Jea-heon Chung