North Korean Vocabulary
by Richardson ~ November 29th, 2006. Filed under: Korean Language. Hangŭl: 성분 (成分)
Romanization: Sŏngbun
English: An element; social status/class
Notes: The descendants of the anti-Japanese guerrillas have the best sŏngbun, while those of former land-owners and collaborators are at the opposite end of social class. There are – or perhaps were – 47 distinct groups or levels of sŏngbun.
Hangŭl: 사대주의 (事大主義)
Romanization: Sadae juŭi
English: Flunkeyism; toadyism; worship of the powerful
Notes: North Korea’s description of South Korea’s relationship to the U.S.
November 30th, 2006 at 7:36 am
That sŏngbun sounds a helluva lot like South Korean ch’emyon.
December 1st, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Isn’t 사대주의 also the term used to describe Korea’s former role as a Chinese vassal?
Is that context still the main gist of its meaning in the RoK?
December 1st, 2006 at 4:51 pm
@ Mark;
Perhaps I should clarify sŏngbun as you understand 체면 (ch’emyŏn) well and they are different.
Sŏngbun is more akin to a caste system or socio-economic ranking. In a generic sense, a good sŏngbun would allow one to go to university, join the military, live in P’yongyang, etc. A so-so sŏngbun might leave someone with the option of living in a provincial city, working in a factory, and so on. A bad sŏngbun (descendent of a land-owner, collaborator, perhaps with family still in the ROK), might be a miner, farmer, etc. But it’s stratified much within those levels, all the more ironic considering that North Korea is supposed to be a classless workers paradise.
@CIVIS ROMANVS;
You are correct that사대주의 is also used in South Korea to describe the relationship of Korea’s former dynasties to China, however I would describe it as a Korean word rather than a South Korean word. In the modern context, however, it is used much more in North Korea and is very rarely used in the South.
Aside from invented words like 주체, they’re all actually Korean rather that North or South Korean vocabulary. What I’m posting here are word and phrases used in the DPRK to the extent that they are generally associated with the North.