Say "Active Middle-Aged and Elderly" Instead of "Active Senior"

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of the Korean Language recommended on May 4 that the term "active senior" be replaced with the Korean expression "hwaldongjeok jangnyeon," meaning "active middle-aged and elderly." Additionally, they suggested "manhwahyeong soseol" (novel in comic form) and "daegwon indoja (core supporter)" as Korean alternatives for "graphic novel" and "kingmaker," respectively.

The term "active senior" refers to middle-aged and elderly individuals who remain highly engaged in cultural and consumer activities after retirement, thanks to their excellent physical health and financial means. "Graphic novel" denotes author-driven comics with literary structure and characteristics. "Kingmaker" refers to someone with the political influence and ability to help another person, such as a president, rise to power.

The two organizations selected these alternative terms during a neologism committee meeting held from April 27 to 29. This committee aims to provide easy-to-understand Korean alternatives for difficult foreign neologisms before they become widespread. Experts from various fields-including Korean language, foreign languages, education, public relations and publishing, information and communications, and the media-participate in the committee. The Ministry and the Institute plan to continue promoting the use of these alternatives, encouraging government agencies and media outlets to take the lead.

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