The Charm of Jeju Dialect: Uncovering Hidden Treasures in 'Poksyak Sogassuda' with IU and Park Bo-gum
Netflix's new hit series 'Poksyak Sogassuda' is garnering global attention. While the pairing of IU and Park Bo-gum, two of South Korea's top actors, is noteworthy, the drama's unique charm lies in its beautiful portrayal of the Jeju dialect. By capturing the distinct language and culture of Jeju Island, the series vividly expresses the 1960s sentiment, transcending a simple romance to rediscover the diversity and beauty of our language. Today, we'll delve into the allure of Jeju dialect hidden in 'Poksyak Sogassuda', the actors' efforts to express it, and the growing interest in Jeju dialect sparked by this drama.
The True Meaning of 'Poksyak Sogassuda': A Warm Greeting from IU and Park Bo-gum
Many viewers were initially puzzled by the title 'Poksyak Sogassuda', which seemingly means "I was completely fooled." However, it actually translates to "Thank you very much for your hard work" in Jeju dialect. In this dialect, 'poksyak' means 'very much', and 'sogassuda' means 'you've worked hard'. This Jeju expression, with its entirely different nuance and meaning from standard Korean, plays a crucial role in creating the drama's unique atmosphere.
In the series, IU's character Oh Ae-soon often uses this greeting to express gratitude and comfort to those around her. Particularly, when she says "Eomeong, poksyak sogassuda" to her mother after a hard day, it conveys deep emotional bonding beyond a simple greeting. Park Bo-gum's character Yang Gwan-sik also uses this phrase several times to acknowledge and comfort Ae-soon's efforts.
This greeting goes beyond merely saying "good job" to convey a deeper message of empathy and solidarity, acknowledging and valuing one's efforts. Chosen as the drama's title, this expression symbolically represents the lives of characters enduring difficult times in 1960s Jeju and the comfort they offer each other.
Charming Characters Portrayed Through Jeju Dialect: The Mischievous Rebel and the Devoted Lover
One of the most impressive aspects of 'Poksyak Sogassuda' is how it uses Jeju dialect to enrich the characters' personalities and charms. IU's Oh Ae-soon is called a 'yomangjin banhanga', where 'yomangjin' in Jeju dialect means 'pretty but playful and quirky'. Unlike the standard Korean 'yomanhan', which has negative connotations, it's closer to expressing an attractive and lively personality.
Park Bo-gum's Yang Gwan-sik is referred to as a 'palbulchul musoe'. While 'palbulchul' has a similar meaning to standard Korean, implying 'a man completely devoted to one woman', in Jeju dialect it's used as a purer and more sincere expression of love. 'Musoe' means 'as solid and unchanging as iron', symbolizing Gwan-sik's unwavering love and loyalty.
In a scene where Ae-soon tells Gwan-sik "Neu jinja palbulchulieuda" (You're really a palbulchul), the unique intonation and expression of Jeju dialect vividly convey her complex emotions - seemingly teasing but touched by his consistent affection.
Moreover, expressions used by supporting characters like "Gojigoji haera" (Be careful) and "Eodi gamsugwa?" (Where are you going?) serve as linguistic devices that more vividly portray the characters' age, social position, and personality.
A Feast of Language Capturing 1950s Jeju: Era-Specific Dialects in 'Poksyak Sogassuda'
While 'Poksyak Sogassuda' is set in 1960s Jeju, it also shows changes from the 1950s. Interestingly, the use and degree of Jeju dialect varies depending on the era.
In 1950s scenes, almost pure Jeju dialect is used. Ae-soon's mother and grandmother's generation use Jeju expressions quite different from standard Korean, such as "Inyeok mal deureunnan baegopa jugeobul geo dalmsuda" (Listening to you makes me feel like I'll die of hunger). The Jeju dialect of this period feels almost like an independent language rather than a dialect of Korean, with unique vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Moving into the 1960s, Ae-soon and Gwan-sik's generation mix Jeju dialect with standard Korean. We can see sentences like "Na Seoul gal geoeuda" (I'm going to Seoul), where the basic sentence structure follows standard Korean but the ending or specific expressions use Jeju dialect. This reflects the gradual spread of standard Korean through radio and education.
Particularly, scenes where teachers emphasize "Speak in standard Korean" show the language policies and situation of Jeju dialect at the time. The contrast between Ae-soon practicing standard Korean as she dreams of attending a Seoul university and Gwan-sik, who has no intention of leaving Jeju, maintaining more traditional Jeju dialect, shows how language becomes a symbol of identity and dreams beyond a simple communication tool.
The drama sensitively captures Jeju's history and changing social landscape through these era-specific and generational differences in language use.
IU and Park Bo-gum's Challenge with Jeju Dialect: The Actors' Hidden Efforts
The natural Jeju dialect performances in 'Poksyak Sogassuda' are the result of the actors' remarkable efforts. Especially IU and Park Bo-gum underwent intensive training before filming to master the unique intonation and expressions of Jeju dialect.
In an interview, IU revealed, "Jeju dialect felt almost like a different language, not just a dialect, and was extremely difficult." She practiced pronunciation daily for three months with a Jeju-born language coach, particularly focusing on mastering the distinctive 'o' and 'u' sounds and intonation patterns of Jeju dialect.
Park Bo-gum also mentioned, "Grasping the rhythm of Jeju dialect was the most challenging part." He spent two weeks in Jeju, conversing with locals. He particularly practiced by recording and imitating the speech of elderly Jeju natives.
Both actors studied additional expressions suitable for their characters, referencing Jeju dialect dictionaries beyond the script. They reportedly tried multiple versions of their performances to maintain the characteristics of Jeju dialect even in emotionally intense scenes.
The production team formed a language advisory group of Jeju natives who participated throughout the entire process from script writing to filming and post-production. They went beyond simply translating dialogues into Jeju dialect, verifying expressions and vocabulary actually used in 1960s Jeju.
Thanks to these efforts, the Jeju dialect in 'Poksyak Sogassuda' gained authenticity beyond a simple dialect, providing viewers with a more immersive experience.
Beautiful Jeju Dialect Expressions Capturing Jeju's Four Seasons
'Poksyak Sogassuda' vividly captures the four seasons of Jeju Island, harmoniously depicting nature and people's lives through unique Jeju dialect expressions for each season. These expressions serve as important devices conveying Jeju's unique sentiments and cultural depth, beyond mere dialogue.
Spring: The Vitality of New Buds
In Jeju, spring is called 'saesun doneun cheol' (the season of new buds), with many expressions emphasizing nature's vitality. When Ae-soon says "Kkot pineun cheoli wassuda" (The flower-blooming season has come) in the drama, it symbolizes not only the start of spring but also the budding of her dreams and hopes. The Jeju expression "The sound of flowers blooming can be heard" sensually describes nature's changes, showcasing the delicate linguistic sense of Jeju people.
Summer: The Coolness Conveyed by Wind and Sea
Summer expressions prominently feature the sea. "Badangi sum swieuda" (The sea is breathing) beautifully compares wave movements to human breathing. When Gwan-sik suggests to Ae-soon, "Badange mom sikhireo gamseo?" (Shall we go cool off in the sea?), it well conveys summer heat and the sea's refreshing quality. The expression "Hae bulttaengi naeryeonda" describes the intensity of Jeju summers under the scorching sun.
Autumn: The Season of Ripening Tangerines
Autumn is closely connected to tangerines, Jeju's representative crop. The line "Gaseulbarami bureoonan gamgyuri ikeoganda" (As autumn wind blows, tangerines are ripening) shows Jeju's unique landscape where nature and human life are closely intertwined. The expression "The season when the sky gets higher" poetically represents the clear autumn sky and a deep sense of leisure.
Winter: Biting Wind and Warm Hearts
Jeju's winter is famous for its harsh winds. The grandmother's warning, "Don't wander outside when the knife wind blows," shows the severity of winter nature and the wisdom of people enduring it. The expression "The winter wind pierces to the bone" symbolically conveys life's hardships and endurance beyond simple cold.
In the drama, these seasonal expressions go beyond mere nature descriptions to enrich the characters' emotional changes and stories. 'Poksyak Sogassuda' vividly portrays Jeju's four seasons and the lives within them through Jeju dialect, delivering unforgettable impressions to viewers.
The Jeju Dialect Craze Sparked by 'Poksyak Sogassuda': Viewers' Reactions and Learning Enthusiasm
Since the release of 'Poksyak Sogassuda', many viewers have been captivated by the Jeju dialect in the drama, sparking a trend to learn it. Especially among younger generations, interest in learning dialects has increased, leading to the emergence of various content and activities for learning Jeju dialect.
Jeju Dialect Challenge Spreading on Social Media
After the drama aired, the hashtag #JejuDialectChallenge became popular on social media. Viewers enjoy recording themselves imitating drama dialogues or creating everyday sentences in Jeju dialect. Particularly, the greeting "Poksyak sogassuda" is being used by many to convey warm messages to each other.
Increase in Jeju Dialect Learning Content
With the surge of interest in Jeju dialect thanks to the Netflix drama, YouTube and blogs are seeing an increase in content that makes learning and understanding Jeju dialect easier. For example, videos analyzing key dialogues from the drama or explaining linguistic features by comparing with standard Korean are gaining popularity.
Revitalization of Local Culture
Jeju's tourism industry is also planning various programs in line with this trend. Opportunities for tourists to experience Jeju dialect or language exchange programs with local residents are being organized, providing chances to understand local culture and history more deeply through language.
'Poksyak Sogassuda' holds special significance in that it has contributed to promoting and preserving local language and culture, beyond mere entertainment. This has become an important case study not only for drama fans but also for linguists and cultural researchers.
Conclusion: 'Poksyak Sogassuda', Building Bridges Between Language and Culture
Netflix's original drama 'Poksyak Sogassuda' is a work that conveys the sentiment of an era through language and culture, beyond a simple romance. Thanks to the delicate performances of IU and Park Bo-gum and the production team's thorough historical research, this drama vividly recreates the life and language of 1960s Jeju, deeply moving viewers.
Especially, the story centered around the unique element of Jeju dialect has reminded us of the importance of regional languages and cultures within Korea. 'Poksyak Sogassuda' has established itself as a work that not only depicts an old story but also reminds us of precious values we have forgotten today.
The beauty of Jeju dialect and the warm heart it contains have deeply resonated with all of us, making us realize that language is an important medium that captures people's lives and emotions beyond a simple communication tool. We hope that more such works will appear in the future to promote and preserve our regional languages and cultures.
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