Korean ‘Jeong’ Culture: The Warmth of Sharing and Connection

Hello! To deepen your understanding of Korean culture, today we’re going to talk about a special emotion deeply rooted in the hearts of Koreans: ‘Jeong’ (情) culture. ‘Jeong’ is a complex emotion that is difficult to translate into a single English word, and it is a key keyword in understanding Korean society and culture.

What is ‘Jeong’ (情)?

‘Jeong’ goes beyond simple ‘love’ or ‘affection’ and signifies a much deeper and broader human connection and warmth. It encompasses trust and bonds built over long periods of time, deep affection and compassion for others, and a strong sense of community. ‘Jeong’ resides in all actions of caring for each other, paying attention, sharing hardships, and sharing joys. It’s the feeling of deep emotional attachment that ties people together.

‘Jeong’ (情) in Everyday Life

You can easily find ‘Jeong’ culture in various aspects of Korean daily life.

• Generous Hospitality: In Korean restaurants, receiving generous extra servings when you order food, or getting an extra item as a bonus when you buy something at the market, stems from ‘Jeong’ culture. It contains the warm heart that wants to give even a little more to others.
• Sharing Food Together: Koreans consider sharing food very important. They share ‘Jeong’ and form strong relationships by eating together with family, friends, and colleagues. This reflects the ‘Jeong’ culture that values ‘us’ rather than ‘me’, ‘together’ rather than ‘alone’.
• Community Sharing Hardships: Korean society has a long tradition of community culture where people share difficulties and help each other. Villagers have built ‘Jeong’ by helping each other and working together to solve difficult tasks. Even recently, you can glimpse ‘Jeong’ culture in the way neighbors help each other with kimchi-making or household chores.
• Valuing Long-Term Relationships: Koreans cherish relationships once formed and try to maintain them for a long time. They feel deep ‘Jeong’ in relationships with long-time friends, long-time favorite stores, and long-time colleagues, and find happiness in life through these relationships.

Influence of ‘Jeong’ (情) on Korean Culture

‘Jeong’ culture deeply influences Korean relationship-building, communication methods, and overall social life.

• Relationship-Oriented Culture: Korean society tends to value relationships more than individuals. While individual ability is important, how harmoniously one gets along in relationships is sometimes valued more. This is because ‘Jeong’ culture reflects a value system that emphasizes community over the individual.
• Indirect Communication Style: Koreans often express emotions indirectly and subtly rather than directly. The communication style of understanding others’ feelings and being considerate stems from ‘Jeong’ culture. ‘Jeong’ is sometimes conveyed through indirect expressions, silence, and non-verbal cues, rather than direct expressions.
• Warm and Humanistic Society: ‘Jeong’ culture greatly contributes to making Korean society warm and humanistic. The spirit of caring for and being considerate of each other, and the sense of community to share difficulties, form strong bonds in Korean society and create a warm social atmosphere.

Message to…

Understanding Korean ‘Jeong’ culture will be the first step to understanding Korean society and the hearts of Koreans more deeply. If you have felt warmth and humanity in your relationships with Koreans, you can think of that as Korean ‘Jeong’.

We hope to share more stories about Korean culture and ‘Jeong’ in the future. Have a warm and happy day!