[New Word Dictionary] Hureondeu - Becomes Friends with Anyone

Queen Victoria (right in the photo) processing documents and her secretary Abdul Karim (left in the photo) assisting her. Photo by THE ROYAL COLLECTION

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Queen Victoria, who led the heyday of 19th-century Britain, was a monarch who lived a lonely life behind the royal splendor. After losing her father and cousins early and with the rare survival of the legitimate line increasing Victoria's chances of succession, her mother raised her as a royal heir through harsh education. Growing up without a proper friend, she developed a strong self-assertion and a dogmatic personality, which became even more solidified after her accession in 1837. It is said that her stubborn personality hardened further after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, whom she fully understood and relied on, at the young age of 42. In her later years, an unexpected friend changed Queen Victoria’s daily life in a colorful way. Captivated by Abdul Karim, an Indian servant she met at the Golden Jubilee celebrating her 50th year on the throne, Victoria appointed him as her steward and accompanied him to official events while learning about Indian culture through him. When it became known that the queen was even learning Urdu (Pakistani language) from the servant who came from the colony, Victoria’s son Edward and British Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil made various efforts to separate him from the queen, but their plans often failed due to the queen’s favor toward him. Abdul, who stayed by the queen’s side until her deathbed, is known to have quietly returned to India immediately after she passed away under pressure from the courtiers.

“Huren-de” is a compound word of who and friend, referring to a culture among the younger generation centered on social networking services (SNS) where anyone can become friends. With the advent of easily accessible SNS, the way relationships are formed has become lighter, allowing people to become friends without hesitation even with anonymous individuals whose identities are unknown, and to have deep communication as long as they share common topics. Today’s huren-de culture recalls Queen Victoria and Abdul, who shared an unreserved friendship despite the severe racial discrimination of their time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.