IMPLICIT NOTIONS OF IDENTITY: THE ABSENCE OF EXPLICIT COMMUNICATION IN KOREAN HYBRID GREETINGS

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This study aims to explore the meanings of the manners of contemporary hybrid greetings in Korean culture. In English, manners are defined as a way of behavior and/ or polite ways of social conduct. In contrast, Koreans understand "manners" [ye-jeol] to imply "behaving with discipline" and/or "behaving moderately" in everyday life. After the unavoidable impact of Western influence and Westernized Japanese invasions during the 19th and 20th centuries, Koreans gradually hybridized their customs beginning with greetings. However, can these hybrid customs totally exclude their traditional way? How is Confucianism reflected in contemporary Korean greetings? How can Confucian-based Korean hybrid greetings be explained by High and Low Context Culture Concepts? Korea can be considered a Korean style high-context society due to its long history as a relatively homogeneous ethnic group. Koreans have a high level of communication based on shared contexts. Global greetings are implemented in everyday life as well as in international environment and apparently, Koreans handshakes and body language appear standardized. Still traditional cultural characteristics are expressed in today's greetings. This paper will analyze Confucian-based implicit expressions in greetings through four meaningful behavioral concerns: taking initiative; physical contact; eye contact; and terms of address.