Due to the widespread use of SNS and texting today, the language of young people has become radically different from that of the older generation. While texting or tweeting on the Internet, youth frequently adopt abbreviated forms of words and phrases, which lack decency and clarity, much to the dismay of their elders. No longer reluctant to use aggravating and offensive language,
young people fill their text messages with indecent content, which is not only inappropriate but indecipherable as well. As a result, we are now witnessing an unprecedented generation gap in our society in the sphere of language usage.
In Korean society specifically, young people audaciously adopt indecent expressions, which they are frequently exposed to during their everyday lives. No longer reading newspapers, Korean youth surf Internet news services all day, which are often the site of vulgar words, unbridled expressions and provoking phrases, especially due in part to editors who frequently change the original title of a piece to a far more seductive and provoking one in order to lure the reader’s attention. Unfortunately, young people adopt those same lascivious and provoking words in their everyday lives, leading to the use of more offensive language.
Korean linguists are currently concerned about the vulgar expressions frequently used among young people. They believe that such indecent words significantly degrade the decency of the Korean language.
Today it is fashionable even among secondary school students to utter profane expressions and indecent slang. To make matters worse, Koreans often consider people who utter profanities and indecent words great speakers and commend them instead of reprimanding them. They also regard them as manly and macho. Perhaps that is why Koreans do not attach a stigma to dirty words and phrases.
The popularity of profanity and indecency among the youth today has caused many to become numb to its effects. Unaffected by the indecency or lack of decorum of the show, a majority of viewers heartily laugh along with “Na Comsu” (I Am a Cunning Conspirer),” an online political parody talk show where both the host and the guest do not shy away from using coarse language. Many viewers in fact praise the host or guest for their use of inappropriate speech, more than feel insulted by their foul language. Indeed, indecent language has become so accepted in Korean society now that when people hear or utter swear words, they feel refreshingly cool (‘siwonhae’), not offensive or filthy.
In addition to the problem of profanity and offensive language today, there is also another language-related phenomenon especially rampant in Korea called phishing. Recently, the Chinese police busted a phishing scam ring and arrested 51 Koreans and 184 Chinese nationals, many of who were Chinese-Koreans who spoke fluent Korean. The employees within these China-based scam organizations would pose as prosecutors, bank tellers or post office clerks and call people in fluent Korean, asking them for vital information, which would then enable them to withdraw money from personal bank accounts.
While in other countries, scams are usually forged by documents, in Korea, scams are conducted orally in most cases. This phenomenon accurately reflects the tendency of Koreans to be easily persuaded by well-crafted words and speeches, which can potentially lead to life threatening situations.
The last verbal issue prominent and problematic among Koreans is their lack of care in their speech. Every day, many people inadvertently hurt other people’s feelings by uttering inappropriate words. For example, Koreans tend to express their affection and care by mentioning the other party’s health. But their affections often offend the other party’s feelings. Specifically speaking, the following greetings, which are commonly used in Korea, are known to be offensive to the receiver: “You look terrible. What’s wrong with you?” or “You don’t look well. Are you ill?” Another example that displays carelessness in speech includes the asking of personal questions like “Why don’t you marry?”
Additionally, people in Korea also unwittingly offend others by bluntly and inconsiderately mentioning someone’s physical appearance: “You’re short,” “You’re fat,” and “How come your skin is so dark?” In Korea, however, these expressions are often regarded as a token of intimacy or as a practical joke to amuse others, with no intention of hurting someone’s feelings. However, more often than not, the other party does not understand this and becomes offended. Undeniably Koreans need to be more careful in their use of language. Oral hazard is moral hazard.
By Kim Seong-kon
Kim Seong-kon is a professor of English at Seoul National University and president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. ― Ed.