The Korean concept of ‘jeong’
Anyone interested in Korean culture or language will probably be vaguely familiar with the concept of ‘jeong’, but truly understanding its meaning and significance in South Korean society proves harder to achieve through simply reading about it on the internet.
‘정’ – Jeong
‘Jeong’ is not an easy concept to define, and is often noted as being something easier to understand through direct experience. Even Korean children often ask their parents to explain the meaning of the word, so how does it translate to western society?
Many point to Korean culture’s association with collectivist culture to best explain ‘jeong’. The educational site ‘Knowing Korea’ explains that “in Korea, the sentiment is based on the idea of collective social responsibility.” The idea that everyone in a society is connected generates a culture of giving back to the one you live in, and this is seen as the foundation of ‘jeong’. When you develop feelings of ‘jeong’ for someone, you want to protect them, help them, and don’t wish to be parted from them.
Typically, ‘jeong’ can only be developed after spending a period of time with someone, however, elements of ‘jeong’ can also be seen in daily life with strangers. Whether it be helping an elderly woman with her shopping, or exchanging side-dishes with a neighbour, ‘jeong’ can be seen everywhere and anywhere in Korea.
What is ‘jeong’?
Linguistically, ‘jeong’ comes from the chinese symbol 情 (‘정’) and is often translated into English as meaning “affection,” “attachment,” “love,” or “intimacy.'' Some often describe it as “warm feelings of love,” and the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism describes it in an article as “warm feelings of love, sympathy, and attachment between people who share an emotional and psychological bond.” But is that really all that there is to it?
Since ‘jeong’ is best described through examples, perhaps it is easier to start there. Since living in Korea and studying Korean here, I have seen many examples of ‘jeong’; the example that comes to mind the most when thinking about the concept is the affection demonstrated by teachers.
Teachers here are curious about their students and often ask about what students get up to in their free time.
As Korean language teachers mostly teach foreign students living in Korea, I have had many experiences where teachers share advice about what to avoid and what to be careful of when living here as a foreigner. Although it may not seem a particularly special or extraordinary act, you can tell that they are concerned for you and want to protect you from things you might not be aware of. Without knowing, it is easy to develop a fondness for your teacher and your classmates, and so by the end of the semester, parting and moving on can be quite difficult.
What are the different types of ‘jeong’?
Multiple different types of ‘jeong’ exist in daily Korean life.
The love and affection from a mother is known as “mojeong” (모정), which is cited as the first experience of ‘jeong’ someone has, since it can be felt straight from birth.
The love and affection of a father is called ‘bujeong’ (부정), the romantic love between two people is ‘aejoeng’ (애정), and ‘jeong’ even exists in friendships, known as ‘wojeong’ (우정).
‘Jeong’ does not just exist between people — ‘jeong’ is also found with objects and places. A relatable example would be to a childhood home. Whilst growing up in a certain surrounding, you create an attachment to the place you have made fond memories in. Leaving this place for somewhere new can be hard and upsetting and, in this instance, Korean people would say that you have created ‘jeong’ to that place. Through this example, we can see how ‘jeong’ can often be translated to mean “attachment”.
The most interesting thing to note about ‘jeong’ is that it even exists in fraught relationships. There is a saying relating to this type of ‘jeong’ — “미운 정이 들었다” (miun jeongi deuleouttda). This describes the situation where you have a hatred for a person, but after spending so much time with them, hateful feelings dissipate and ‘jeong’ replaces it. Whilst hating this person, you exchange feelings and emotions until ‘jeong’ is eventually developed.
Does ‘jeong’ exist in other East Asian countries?
The simple answer is ‘yes’. However, the more complicated answer is that there are different nuances between each country and its corresponding cultures. As the character for ‘jeong’ derives from Chinese, you can see the character appear in both Chinese and Japanese. However, how each country defines the character is different to Korea’s interpretation.
This comparison between the three countries’ use of ‘jeong’ has been made: “The Chinese emphasise the aspects of loyalty and reciprocity in relationships when using their jeong character. The Japanese equivalent, pronounced “jyo”, means sentimental feelings with the addition of another word, “nin jyo”.” Jeong in Korean culture has much broader meanings and ambiguous nuances in the expression of emotions, and encompasses the Chinese and Japanese concepts.”
Is ‘jeong’ similar to anything in western culture?
Western culture arguably leans more towards the individualistic mindset, prioritising the individual over the collective, and since ‘Jeong’ is built upon the values of collectivist and even homogenous societies, there is no direct comparison to anything in western society.
‘Jeong’ is more than just being considerate to strangers, or loving your family or friends, it is a special kind of attachment based in Korean culture and ideals.
Foreigners may be able to feel it and experience it while living in Korean society, but it is not a familiar concept to westerners and, therefore, is often noted by foreigners as something that surprises or touches them whilst living in or visiting Korea.
Edited by Gabii Rayner.
