Table Of ContentA LINGUISTIC IMAGE OF
WOMANHOOD IN SOUTH KOREA
A Linguistic Image of Womanhood in South Korea examines the verbal and
non-verbal techniques used by contemporary South Korean women to navigate
their society.
South Korea is extremely hierarchical, and this is expressed through a complex
array of different politeness levels in words, gestures, and behaviours. These
hierarchies were formed over 500 years ago with the introduction of Neo-
Confucianism from China, but patriarchal and paternalistic values still linger in
contemporary Korean society. In this book, the authors have coined the term
‘language cosmetics’ to describe how women in South Korea modify their
language and behaviour to conform to social expectations. The book examines
womanhood and femininity as seen in popular Korean films, K-dramas, and
K-pop. The authors note that feminine language and behaviour are not limited
to women (as seen by the practice of aegyo or ‘acting cute’ within Korean boy
bands), and they describe the tensions between gender hierarchy and socio-
economic status (as seen in the powerful and elegant samonim ladies of K-drama).
This book will be informative for those studying and researching in the fields of
Asian studies, cultural studies, linguistics, and East Asian languages, particularly
those analysing how society and gender have an impact upon language.
Jieun Kiaer is Professor of Korean Linguistics at the University of Oxford. She
publishes widely on East Asian linguistics, with particular emphasis on pragmatics.
Her recent publications include Understanding Korean Film: A Cross-Cultural
Perspective (with Loli Kim, 2021), More Than Polite (Routledge, forthcoming),
and Pragmatic Particles: Findings From Asian Languages (2020).
Jiyoung Shin is Professor of Korean Linguistics at Korea University. Her research
areas are phonetics and phonology, spoken grammar of Korean, and the role of
prosody in subareas of linguistics. She is also interested in the ideology behind
language. Shin has most recently published The Tug-of-War of the Language
(2018) and The High Jump of the Language (2021). She received the Presidential
Commendation for her contributions to family policy in 2020.
Routledge Studies in East Asian Translation
Series Editors: Jieun Kiaer, University of Oxford, UK
Amy Xiaofan Li, University College London, UK
Routledge Studies in East Asian Translation aims to discuss issues and challenges
involved in translation between Chinese, Japanese and Korean as well as from
these languages into European languages with an eye to comparing the cultures of
translation within East Asia and tracking some of their complex interrelationships.
Most translation theories are built on translation between European languages,
with only few exceptions. However, this Eurocentric view on language and
translation can be seriously limited in explaining the translation of non-European
literature and scholarship, especially when it comes to translating languages
outside the Indo-European family that have radically different script forms and
grammatical categories, and may also be embedded in very different writing tra-
ditions and cultures. This series considers possible paradigm shifts in translation
theory, arguing that translation theory and practice need to go beyond European
languages and encompass a wider range of literature and scholarship.
Pragmatics in Korean and Japanese Translation
Jieun Kiaer and Ben Cagan
A Linguistic Image of Womanhood in South Korea
Jieun Kiaer and Jiyoung Shin
Loanwords and Japanese Identity
Inundating or Absorbed?
Naoko Hosokawa
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
languages/series/RSEAT
A LINGUISTIC IMAGE
OF WOMANHOOD IN
SOUTH KOREA
Jieun Kiaer and Jiyoung Shin
Designed cover image: Yoon Deok-hee, “The Woman Who Reads,”
18th century, 20.0×14.3cm in silk, Seoul National University Museum
First published 2023
by Routledge
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© 2023 Jieun Kiaer and Jiyoung Shin
The right of Jieun Kiaer and Jiyoung Shin to be identified as authors of
this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kiaer, Jieun, author. | Sin, Chi-yŏng, 1966 September– author.
Title: A linguistic image of womanhood in South Korea / Jieun Kiaer and
Jiyoung Shin.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. |
Series: Routledge studies in East Asian translation | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022036638 (print) | LCCN 2022036639 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032053721 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032053738 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003197287 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Korean language—Sex differences—Korea (South) | Korean
language—Social aspects—Korea (South) | Women—Korea (South)—
Language. | Women—Communication. | Femininity—Korea (South)
Classification: LCC PL908.84 .K366 2023 (print) | LCC PL908.84 (ebook) |
DDC 306.442/95705195082—dc23/eng/20221018
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022036638
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022036639
ISBN: 978-1-032-05372-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-05373-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-19728-7 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003197287
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
CONTENTS
List of figures viii
List of tables xi
Acknowledgments xii
Preliminaries xiii
Preface xiv
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Manifesting ‘Asian-ness’: Age, Order, and Desire
for Unanimity 4
1.2 Studies of Women’s Languaging Habits 6
1.3 The Case of Japan 7
1.4 Language Cosmetics 9
2 Womanhood in a Neo-Confucian Society – Past
and Present 13
2.1 Introduction 13
2.2 Transition From Goryeo 13
2.3 The Making of Womanhood in Joseon 14
Women’s Place 14
Oryun (五倫) ‘Five Relations’ 16
Women’s Virtues 18
Admonishment for Women 20
Women’s Misconduct 22
vi Contents
Women’s Education 23
Women’s Sorrow Han (恨): The Untranslatable Grief 24
2.4 Between the Joseon Dynasty and Contemporary
Korean Society 27
2.5 Neo-Confucianism in Contemporary Korea 30
Father-Son Relationship (bujayuchin 父子有親) 31
Ruler-Vassal Relationship (gunsinyuui 君臣有義) 33
Husband-Wife Relationship (bubuyubyeol 夫婦有別) 36
The Sibling Relationship (hyeongjeuae 兄弟友愛) 39
The Relationship Between Old and Young
(jangyuyuseo 長幼有序) 39
2.6 Marriage Migration 40
2.7 North Korea 41
2.8 Summary 43
3 The Linguistic Landscape of Korea 45
3.1 A Fine Line Between Nature and Nurture 45
Studies of East Asia 47
The Need to Avoid Generalisation 49
3.2 The Influence of the Linguistic Landscape 49
Feminisation of Professional Titles 50
Meanings of Yeosa (女史) 51
Problematic Family Address Terms 53
Terms of ‘Endearment’ 53
Moving Towards a Gender-Neutral Language 55
3.3 Case Study: Invisible and Unheard in 100 Minute Debate 56
3.4 Summary 57
4 Language Cosmetics 58
4.1 Introduction 58
4.2 Language Cosmetics: More Than Verbal Hygiene 59
4.3 Aegyo as a Linguistic Cosmetic 63
4.4 ‘Generation MZ’ Women 69
The Fist Pump 71
Closed Eyes 72
Hand Over Heart 73
Contents vii
4.5 Online Language Cosmetics 74
4.6 Summary 76
5 Language Cosmetics in Non-Verbal Behaviour 77
5.1 Neo-Confucian Non-Verbal Indicators of Politeness 77
5.2 Gender and Gesture 79
5.3 Neo-Confucian Non-Verbal Indicators of Politeness
as a Measure of Femininity 80
5.4 The Samonim (사모님) Dynamic 90
5.5 Summary 99
6 Conclusion 101
6.1 The Female Voice in the Future 103
References 106
Index 112
FIGURES
2.1 Samgang Haengsildo (三綱行實圖) ‘Illustrated Instructions
of the Three Bonds’ 17
2.2 Extract from Song Siyeol, Gyenyeoseo “Lesson to his
Daughter” (17th century, date unknown) 19
2.3 Okboon in I Can Speak (2017) 29
2.4 In this still from My Golden Life (2017) the butler and
cooks must stand and wait until the chaebol father and
mother arrive 34
2.5 In this scene from Yong Pal (2015) the male employees
bow with respect when the CEO’s daughter visits the
family firm 34
2.6 The heroine is dragged along by the male lead in
Boys Over Flowers (2009) 37
2.7 Do Bong-soon displays her superhuman strength in
Strong Girl Bong-soon (2017) 38
2.8 Yoon Se-ri in Crash Landing on You (2019–2020) 39
4.1 Reporter Joo Hyun-young purses her lips in SNL Korea (2021) 70
4.2 Reporter Joo Hyun-young covers her mouth in distress in
SNL Korea (2021) 70
4.3 Reporter Joo Hyun-young clenches her fist in
SNL Korea (2021) 71
4.4 Nayoung clenches her fists in Kim’s Convenience (2016) 71
4.5 Reporter Joo Hyun-young closes her eyes while
fist-pumping in SNL Korea (2021) 72
4.6 Nayoung closes her eyes while clapping her hands in
Kim’s Convenience (2016) 72
Figures ix
4.7 Reporter Joo Hyun-young places her hand on her heart in
SNL Korea (2021) 73
4.8 Nayoung places her hand on her heart in Kim’s Convenience
(2016) 73
4.9 Nayoung places both hands on her heart in Kim’s Convenience
(2016) 74
5.1 Bok-joo (second from right) stands with her arms loosely at her
side in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016) 81
5.2 Bok-joo pointing her chopsticks at dinner (Weightlifting Fairy Kim
Bok-joo, 2016) 81
5.3 Bok-joo smiling and looking down in front of Jae-yi
(Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, 2016) 82
5.4 Bok-joo (left) standing with hands clasped neatly in
front of Jae-yi (right) (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, 2016) 83
5.5 Bok-joo (left) standing with her hands clasped behind her
back in front of Jae-yi (right) (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo,
2016) 83
5.6 Bok-joo (right) walking casually with friend Joon-hyeong (left)
(Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, 2016) 84
5.7 Bok-joo holding an umbrella politely for Jae-yi (Weightlifting
Fairy Kim Bok-joo, 2016) 84
5.8 Bong-soon (left) receiving a car key from Min-hyuk (right)
with one hand (Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 86
5.9 Bong-soon making comical, cute gestures in front of Min-hyuk
(Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 86
5.10 Bong-soon (left) maintaining direct eye contact with
boss Min-hyuk (right) (Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 86
5.11 Bong-soon (right) stands with hands clasped neatly,
while Guk-joo (left) stands with his hands on his hips
(Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 88
5.12 Guk-joo sat casually (left), while Bong-soon (right)
sits politely (Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 88
5.13 Bong-soon (right) walks with her hands clasped in front of her,
whilst Guk-joo walks casually (Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 88
5.14 Bong-soon (second from right) walks with her hands clasped
politely, Guk-joo (right) walks casually (Strong Girl Bong-soon,
2017) 89
5.15 Bong-soon (right) lowering her eyes in front of Min-hyuk (left)
(Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 89
5.16 Bong-soon (right) lowering her head in front of Min-hyuk (left)
(Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) 89
5.17 Mrs. Pak holding a dog while striking an assertive
stance in Parasite (2019) 94
5.18 Mrs. Pak covering her mouth in Parasite (2019) 95
