[First Perspective] Word of the Year, Word for Next Year

[Asia Economy, Reporter Kim Jonghwa] At the end of each year, various organizations announce their “Word of the Year.” As expected, this year’s words are somber.

The most direct expression is “Uhwanchilgo,” a four-character idiom that encompasses anxiety, worry, disease, and hardship.

This was the top-ranked idiom in a survey conducted by the job portal Incruit. The second most chosen idiom was “Gannanshingo,” which means severe difficulty and hardship.

For small and medium-sized business owners, the idiom that best described this year’s business environment was “Noshimchosa,” meaning to be deeply anxious and worried. For self-employed individuals running businesses with fewer than five regular employees, the idiom they predicted for next year was “Geoju-yangnan,” which refers to a situation where both leaving and staying are difficult-a state of being unable to go or stay.

Internationally, the most frequently chosen word of the year was “pandemic,” which refers to a disease that spreads globally or such a phenomenon. Both Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com selected “pandemic” as their word of the year, and the German Language Society (GfdS) also chose “pandemic.”

In South Korea, the internet portal Naver announced that “pandemic” was the most searched word in its Korean dictionary this year. The next most searched word was “untact,” a newly coined term describing a new consumption trend where goods are purchased without contact with sales staff, thanks to technological advancement.

The Oxford Dictionary, a leading authority in selecting the “Word of the Year,” stated that 2020 was “a year that cannot be summed up with a single word,” so it refrained from choosing just one. Instead, it presented several terms: COVID-19, WFH (Working From Home), lockdown, keyworkers, furlough, and Black Lives Matter. The explanation added, “The changes brought by COVID-19 are global, and even the way we express everything else this year has changed.”

Japan’s Jiyu Kokuminsha, which selects the “Kanji of the Year” annually, chose “密 (Mitsu),” meaning “dense” or “close.” This was based on the Japanese health authorities’ guidelines to avoid the “three Mitsu”-crowding, closed spaces, and close contact-to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

What about teenagers’ perspectives? According to a survey by Elite School Uniforms titled “Keywords of the Year Chosen by Teenagers,” the top pick was “Corona Blue,” and the most hoped-for news for next year was “the complete end of COVID-19.” Just imagining such news is exciting and something everyone wants to hear.

Small and medium-sized business owners selected “Tojeokseongsan” as the idiom describing next year’s business outlook. It means “piling up earth to make a mountain”-in other words, achieving great things by accumulating small efforts. This reflects their determination to overcome the management crisis caused by COVID-19 through solid management and to achieve results next year.

The idiom “Seungpungparang,” chosen by the Chungcheongbuk-do Office of Education for next year, also stands out. It means “riding the wind and breaking the waves,” and is used to describe having grand ambitions. The message of overcoming all obstacles with strong will and moving forward energetically to achieve one’s goals is a perfect New Year’s greeting.

Finally, it is the last day of 2020. This year, which felt endlessly long, has only a few hours left. Perhaps the phrase most repeated by people around the world was, “When will this finally end?” Although not much will suddenly change just because tomorrow is the start of 2021, the excitement and anticipation that comes with change and new beginnings is always welcome.

If I were to join in choosing a word for the coming year, personally, I hope it will be “Good-bye.”

Good-bye to COVID-19, the pandemic, good-bye to gannanshingo, and furthermore, good-bye to discrimination, alienation, distrust, misunderstanding, corruption, conflict, and confrontation-there are so many things I wish to bid a clean farewell to. Let us leave behind the difficult times and welcome a new day filled with hope!

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