-았/었- is not the past, it is a set block

Where the picture shows up in -았/었-

1. 1

   finished and hard

   점심은 벌써 먹었어요.

   jeom-si-meun beol-sseo meo-geo-sseo-yo

   I already had lunch.

2. 2

   the result in your hand

   열쇠를 찾았어요.

   yeol-soe-reul cha-ja-sseo-yo

   I found the key.

3. 3

   hardened into how you look now

   저는 아버지를 닮았어요.

   jeo-neun a-beo-ji-reul dal-ma-sseo-yo

   I take after my father.

   닮았어요 describes the present, not the past. Koreans rarely say 닮아요.

4. 4

   a result you cannot step out of

   약속 시간에 늦었어요.

   yak-sok si-ga-ne neu-jeo-sseo-yo

   I'm late for the appointment.

5. 5

   a future already set

   이대로 가면 우리 다 죽었어요.

   i-dae-ro ga-myeon u-ri da ju-geo-sseo-yo

   If we keep going like this, we're done for.

   Using -었- for something still ahead makes it sound already sealed, which is far stronger.