[Current & Culture] Raising an Objection to the "Four-Character Idiom of the Year"

Lee Jae-ik, Novelist

Since some time ago, at the end of each year, a four-character idiom of the year appears. Starting in 2001, it has been announced as a year-end project by the "Gyosu Sinmun" (Professor Newspaper). As the name suggests, since professors select it with their honor at stake, it is not chosen arbitrarily or intuitively but goes through a set process. First, the recommendation committee suggests candidates, then a preliminary judging panel reviews them, and finally, a main survey is conducted among professors nationwide. It can be said that this is an intellectual exercise where the scholars of our society encapsulate various aspects of our society over the year into four Chinese characters. So, by looking over the four-character idioms selected so far, can we somewhat gauge the flow of our society?

The four-character idiom that opened the 21st century was Orimujung (五里霧中, "Lost in a fog five li wide"). In 2002, it was Ihapjipsan (離合集散, "forming and breaking up of groups"), and in 2003, Uwongjwang (右往左往, "going right and left in confusion"). It might be just my personal opinion, but up to this point, these were idioms that ordinary people might know. However, from 2004, the difficulty level suddenly increased sharply. How many people know the idiom Dangdongbeori (黨同伐異, "unite with the same party and attack the different")? People might know about earning small change, but this...? How about the 2005 idiom Sanghwahataek (上火下澤, "fire above, marsh below")? After that, there were Milunbulwoo (密雲不雨, "dense clouds but no rain"), Jagigiin (自欺欺人, "deceiving oneself and others"), Hojilgigi (護疾忌醫, "protecting the illness and avoiding the doctor"), Banggigokgyeong (旁岐曲逕, "detour and crooked path"), Jangdunomi (藏頭露尾, "hide the head and reveal the tail")... How many of these four-character idioms from 2004 to 2010 do readers know? I, an uneducated writer, do not know any. The extreme difficulty continued even after 2011. Idioms like Eomidodjong (掩耳盜鐘, "covering ears while stealing a bell"), Geosegaetak (擧世皆濁, "the whole world is turbid"), Dohengyeoksi (倒行逆施, "acting contrary to the norm") are truly baffling and confusing.

I would like to ask the professors to find their original intention again. It is not necessary to lower the level to that of an illiterate writer, but this is too difficult. Wouldn't it be better to choose four-character idioms that about half of ordinary people can know? Rather than boasting about difficult characters that only I know, wouldn't enlightening the truth in a language everyone understands be more in line with the true role of a teacher?

The four-character idiom of the year 2021 is Myoseodongcheo (猫鼠同處, "cat and mouse living together"). Again, an idiom I do not know. The characters mean cat (myo), mouse (seo), same (dong), place (cheo). Literally, it means a cat and a mouse living together, and figuratively, it means that those who should catch thieves have become accomplices with them. After reading the explanation, one nods in agreement. It brings to mind cowardly media and investigative agencies that watch the power’s eye and politicians colluding with criminals. However, this is also so unfamiliar that it will probably be forgotten by this time next year.

Therefore, I have re-selected the four-character idiom of the year 2021. Originally, four-character idioms should be in Chinese characters, but applying the spirit of loving our language, I chose four Korean characters. The honored winner is "Dogingaegin" (도긴개긴). According to the dictionary, it means that although there is a slight difference in superiority between two things, they are not significantly different. Similar expressions include Osipbobaekbo (오십보백보, "fifty steps and a hundred steps") or "that one is that one," and "Dochingaechin" (도찐개찐) is a wrong spelling. The origin comes from the traditional Korean game Yutnori, meaning that the distance to catch a horse by road or by dog is not much different. The four-character idiom of the year, Dogingaegin, do readers agree?

The presidential election is rapidly approaching. Who on earth should we choose? When reading articles about presidential candidates, there are many humorous comments this year. Among them, one phrase is often seen: "Is it poop-flavored curry or curry-flavored poop? That is the question."

Lee Jae-ik, Novelist

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