Caveat: 나무도 쓸만한 것은 먼저 베인다

I found this aphorism in my book of Korean aphorisms.

나무도     쓸만한          것은           먼저      베인다
na.mu.do  sseul.man.han geos.eun      meon.jeo be.in.da
tree-EVEN useful-ADJ    thing-be-PART first    cut-PRES
The tree that is useful is cut first.

This is quite simple – “The good die young.”