Power and solidarity in the Korean language

Abstract

Abstract This paper reveals the structural and sociolinguistic changes of Korean speech styles, relating them to the fact that in Korean society ‘power’ and formality have been giving way to ‘solidarity’ and informality. A sociolinguistically revealing analysis of the structure and usage of the Korean speech styles (or levels) is proposed, as against the traditional, one‐dimensional and purely linguistic analysis. Finally, the paper claims that the present Korean society is a mixture of a traditional vertical social structure with a Western horizontal structure superimposed, as reflected in the Korean sociolinguistic dynamic.