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| Tyler Rasch raised the issue on Twitter about the term "oekuk-saram." In the tweet on the top, he said: "‘oekuk-saram' is not a typo made while typing, right? It is spelled this way on purpose, right? The letter is situated in an uncomfortable place, so it seems difficult to see this as a typo." The tweet on the bottom says: "I know that the expression ‘oekuk-saram' does not have a negative connotation but why does it give an unpleasant feeling? Is it just me? Why is it so bothersome?" / Captured from Tyler Rasch's Twitter |
By Chyung Eun-ju
Many foreigners in Korea are called an altered form of the word foreigner, "oekuk-saram," instead of the proper pronunciation, "oeguk-saram." The "k" pronunciation imitates foreigners' pronunciation of the word "oeguk-saram."
A debate on social media has raged over whether it is a racial slur, after an American television personality in Korea, Tyler Rasch, raised the issue on Twitter.
"I know that the expression ‘oekuk-saram' does not have a negative connotation but why does it give an unpleasant feeling? Is it just me? Why is it so bothersome?" Tyler wrote in Korean.
"‘Oekuk-saram' is not a typo made while typing, right? It is spelled this way on purpose, right? The letter is situated in an uncomfortable place, so it seems difficult to see this as a typo."
Some people commented that it was an "imitation of the foreigner's accent of the word" and it did not have any "bad intentions" but agreed it may feel "unpleasant."
A reply to Rasch's tweet said: "As a foreigner in Korea, I also feel the same."
While some Koreans commented on how it felt like a form of ridicule, some posted that the term was just "playful."
"Oe" means outside, "guk" means country" and "saram" means person.
Many foreigners pronounce the "g" as "k" -- for instance, "gimchi" is pronounced "kimchi." So Koreans started pronouncing the Korean word foreigner as "oekuk-saram."
Koreans who said it because they thought it was a form of expressing friendliness said they never thought it would insult someone.
"I will be careful when using this word," one Korean said.
Others said the term highlighted that it was an insult, as one posted: "Isn't it a travesty if it was a form of humor?"
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