Linguistic etiquette is one of the most salient language features to be influenced by language ideology and policy in North Korea compared to its South Korean counterpart. The term “linguistic etiquette,” as a broad concept, refers to those linguistic practices considered appropriate to a communicative event in a given speech community (Kasper, 2005). This presentation focuses on address-reference terms as part of the linguistic etiquette of language use in North Korea. The divergence in language use between the two Koreas is reflected distinctively in the common address-reference terms employed in those countries since the 1945 division of Korea. For instance, one of the most common address-reference forms in South Korea, the title suffix –ssi (Mr. or Ms.), is not used in North Korea because it is perceived there as reflecting feudal and capitalist relationships. Instead, address-reference forms that reflect a socialistic relationship, i.e. tongmwu/ tongci (comrade) have found common usage in North Korea. This presentation examines the propagation of the address-reference forms both for the people and its state leaders as part of the linguistic etiquette in North Korea in the historical and societal context, comparing this with their counterparts in South Korea. The data that I employ are mainly North Korean public discourses, such as its state-run print media. The methods of Corpus Linguistics are also employed in order to supplement the quantitative dimension of this project.
This study offers an interesting case for the field of language planning and policy (LPP) for the following reasons. First, it reveals how socialist ideology has affected LPP in North Korea. Second, it demonstrates the critical role strong political forces play in LPP. North Korean LPP has been evaluated as successful for more than 70 years due to the state’s leaders, who approach language as a powerful medium in building a socialist state and who believe their populace can be reconstructed as faithful communists through education using language.
Kasper, G. (2005). Linguistic etiquette, In S. F. Kiesling & C. B. Paulston (Eds.), Intercultural Discourse and Communication: The Essential Readings (pp. 58-77). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
