The topic of emotions (“jeong” 情) in the Korean tradition deserves special attention. While we have an impressive list of works by contemporary scholars on East Asian and Korean philosophy and religion, the current Western literature on this particular topic – emotions in Korean traditions – is limited.
How does “jeong” make it so unique in Korean culture? “Jeong” is closely related to the term “we” (uri 우리), and “Jeong” is the main factor that rides the line between “us” and “them” or others. Basically, “jeong” refers to the emotional and psychological bonds that unite people in the Korean cultural context; it pervades all levels, dividing the world into different degrees of “us” (uri 우리) versus “them” (us 남).
With “jeong”, people in a community become like family and share a sense of community through solidarity and compassion. The concept of “jeong” can actually be understood and practiced among Koreans as a loyalty. Further, this can potentially even be extended to strangers, beyond the actual biological ties of kinship.
Korean family relationships are connected by the term “uri” (우리 we/our). “Uri” is much more than a word that means oneness. It means that I am a part of a collective organism so-called human.
“Uri” is about developing a caring community that generates self-awareness, not the other way around. Self-awareness is shaped and defined by the community which we are a part of.
Western modernity and cultural transformations have given rise to a more individualistic culture, while traditional Asian, African, and indigenous cultures tend to be more communal.
The socially and psychologically formed “uri” (we) in Korean society is qualitatively different from social groups in Western society, as the Korean “uri” is accompanied by a group-specific self-transformation of individual members, generating a unique group development.
This development is rarely found in an individualistic society. This difference lies in how they identify themselves. Individualistic self-identity is defined more by who they are inside, minimizing the influence of various factors, contexts, and people outside the individual. Social identity is defined more by who people are to others, or by their belonging to a group. In this meaning, “uri” is the intersubjective self (I) in the community to which we belong, through the recognition of empathic bonds and family relationships beyond biological ties.
Maintaining social harmony, communication with others, and meeting social expectations are important in societal cultures. In Korean social psychology, “uri” is an integral part of “me”. This is evident in the way Koreans refer to their mothers not as “my mom” but as “our mom” (uri omma 우리엄마). Mothers in Korea act like moms to everyone, not just to their own children. This level of attention and care may seem burdensome or even an invasion of privacy, but in a world where society is becoming increasingly divided and individualized, the care for others that is shown through “jeong” is becoming more valuable. “Jeong” unites people into the category of “uri,” whether they are family members, friends or not.
A “jeong” is formed through relationships, while relationships are strengthened through “jeong”. Because of this connection of “jeong”, Koreans say that “jeong” accumulates and accumulates over time.
For example, an old grandmother puts the food on a plate, plate after plate for her grandchildren that to a point they may even burst. “Jeong” has a lot to do with love, deep-rooted love.
“Jeong” relationships go beyond family or human relationships. You can feel “jeong” to your family, friends, beloved, colleagues, and even places like your home and objects like your hometown or car. It is easier to feel jeong than to describe it in words. Koreans often express “jeong” through wordless actions. “Jeong” can be seen in Korean customs – when sharing food with people, including strangers, helping each other, going to a traditional Korean sauna together.
Illustrations: https://history.go.kr/
Illustration on the cover: Youtube channel 신나는 동화여후-Korean story train
