Jeong

Jeong is a core Korean cultural concept referring to a deep, enduring emotional bond or sentiment toward people, places, or things that emerges through sustained interaction and shared experiences. It encompasses affection, warmth, care, and attachment, and it can accumulate over time to influence behavior and relationships.

The term originates in the Korean language and is often associated with the hanja character meaning affection or attachment, though its usage is primarily linguistic and cultural rather than strictly a literal translation. Jeong is commonly romanized as Jeong, Jung, or Chung, and it also appears as a surname in Korea, written with different hanja characters depending on the family line.

In social life, jeong fosters cohesion and mutual obligation, shaping hospitality, generosity, caregiving, and loyalty within families, friends, and workplaces. It can motivate acts of support and sacrifice and often deepens through shared experiences, creating expectations for reciprocity and long-term solidarity. Jeong can also complicate decisions when personal obligations clash with other considerations or when relationships become strained.

In Korean literature, film, and everyday discourse, jeong is depicted as a pervasive feeling that binds individuals and communities beyond formal ties, serving as a lens to understand loyalty, reconciliation, and emotional resilience. It is related to broader ideas of interpersonal harmony and affection in East Asian thought, but it is not directly equivalent to Western concepts of love or friendship.

The surname Jeong is widely used in Korea and can be romanized in multiple ways (Jeong, Jung, Chung) depending on origin and transliteration. The same pronunciation may correspond to several different hanja characters, reflecting diverse family histories.