[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea:

Navigating the line between what's funny and

not
Beneath Koreans' laughter, intricate interplay of sensitivity to
hierarchical structures, power relations in different group settings

Published : 2024-04-22 16:45:51

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Yoon Jin-hee, 37, describes herself as a bubbly and funny personality, always
cracking jokes first when around friends. But at work, she seldom reveals her witty
side.

"At work, only bosses make jokes. I've never seen a subordinate make a joke to
their boss," said Yoon, who works for a government agency.
“Male superiors mostly make ‘ajae’ jokes, which are hardly ever amusing,” she
said. The term, based on “ajae,” a word for middle-aged men, is roughly
equivalent to a "dad joke."

“It is not really funny, but we just go ‘hahaha’ to avoid an awkward atmosphere,”
she said.

The power to joke

Yoon’s boss, in his 50s, calls himself “Latte Lee,” a moniker used by no one else
but himself, because he often employs the term “Latte,” a pun on the Korea
phrase “na ttae,” meaning “in my day.”

“Latte” is used by older generations when making half-joking critiques of younger

ones, as they recount their own experiences from times they perceive as having
been much tougher.

Sometimes, the problem is not that the jokes are not funny, but that they are
inappropriate.

A few months ago, when an upper-level employee in his 50s in Yoon’s office was
preparing for an overseas business trip and noticed that the hotel was expensive,
he said, “I should share a room with a female staff member for the sake of the
national treasury,” laughing.

Yoon thought his remarks were outright problematic, but just laughed along.

Kim Byung-min, 31, who works at a media firm, echoed similar sentiments.

Humor is toned down at work, because there is anxiety among employees about
how the humor would be received or how a failed attempt at humor could make
them appear less serious.

“You don’t crack jokes with someone after addressing them ‘bujangnim’ or
‘sangmunim,’ he said.

"Bujang" means "department head" and "sangmu" means "executive-level

director." The suffix "nim” is added to the titles as a form of respect.

Outside the superior-subordinate dynamic, humor could be more freely employed

within the workplace among donggi, who are akin to friends at the office, Kim
said.

“Although we are not super close, our relationship is much more casual,” he said.
“We also naturally joke around when it’s just us.”

Donggi are colleagues who joined the company in the same year, or in some
cases, more strictly, on the same day. For instance, those who joined the company
six months earlier might be considered “seonbae” or seniors, rather than donggi.

Numerous studies emphasize the beneficial effects of laughter and humor in the
workplace, such as alleviating stress and anxiety, boosting employee morale and
creativity and lowering turnover rates. Overall, they suggest humor is a vital
element of a healthy workplace culture, just as it is in any human group.

Yet in reality, who jokes, what is joked about, and how jokes are received are
deeply embedded in the context of workplace hierarchies and power structures.

Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of “The Humor

Advantage: Why Some Businesses are Laughing all the Way to the Bank” was
quoted in a Forbes article that the amount or type of humor you’ll find in any
given workplace depends almost entirely on the culture.

“In workplaces that encourage people to be themselves -- that are less

hierarchical and more innovative -- people tend to be more open with their
humor,” he says. “Even people who aren’t always comfortable sharing their
humor tend to do so in more relaxed environments where the use of humor
becomes second nature with everyone’s style.”

Daniel Tudor, a former journalist and author of “Korea: The Impossible Country,”
said exercising humor here requires a tricky balancing act.

“I don't think Korean bosses lack humor. Rather, I think that if you make the
decision as a boss to be more democratic and open in style -- including allowing
your staff to joke around with you a little -- you may be taken for a pushover.”

He personally experienced these dynamics when he ran a startup here, he said.

“To your staff, you can become either ‘hogu’ (a pushover) or ‘kkondae
(condescending),’” Tudor said.

“It's very difficult to be anywhere in between. I think the heart of it is that there's
an expectation of rigidity and hierarchy, and if you don't adhere to it (whether
you're lower or higher in the chain), you will struggle,” he said.

“In general, in Korea, these kinds of hierarchical relationship structures are

followed more strictly, so if a superior makes a joke and embarrasses themselves,
people may misunderstand it a little at first,” Jeon Joong-hwan, an associate
professor of evolutionary psychology in Humanitas College at Kyung Hee
University, explained.

“However, as time passes, you tend to like them more, thinking that they are not a
'pushover' but a truly democratic and open boss. However, because we haven't
met many capable leaders who also use self-deprecating humor, we tend to feel a
little unfamiliar with it," he continued.

Safe jokes, risky jokes

In the realm of performed comedy, two things are noticeable: Political satire is
relatively weak in Korea, while stand-up comedy is virtually non-existent.

Also, there’s a fine line existing in the selection of material: Koreans generally
prefer humor that entertains without relying on making fun of others in front of a
group. Sexual topics are considered off-limits, while joking about someone’s
physical traits or appearance is more tolerated.

In recent years, however, the range of topics covered in comedy has broadened,
with the rise of platforms like YouTube and streaming services. This situation is
in contrast to the era of broadcast network TV dominance in Korea, when stricter
guidelines were in place regarding the use of slang, vulgar language and the
appropriateness of topics featured in its programs.

Saturday Night Live Korea, or SNL Korea, has been somewhat of a trailblazer in
Korea's comedy scene, venturing into bolder political satire and exploring
sensitive issues that are untouched by broadcast TV.

Currently aired on local streaming platform Coupang Play, the show in early
March featured a skit in which comedian Kim Min-kyo impersonated President
Yoon Suk Yeol and pledged to safeguard the “right to satire,” mirroring Yoon’s
own remarks made during his 2021 appearance on SNL Korea, then as a
presidential candidate.

Political satire, however, still remains relatively uncharted territory in Korea,

often viewed as too risky due to the possibility of backlash from those in power.

During Park Geun-hye's presidency from 2013 to 2017, the conservative

administration, amid its perception that SNL Korea was "leftist," attempted to
sway CJ Group, which had started broadcasting the show on CJ's television
network, tvN, in 2011.

The satirical portrayal of Park on SNL Korea was not the only issue for the
administration; CJ's backing of films like "The Attorney," which is based on the
real-life story of liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, also contributed. It was revealed
later that in 2013, Park’s presidential office pressured Miky Lee, vice chair of CJ
Group and the driving force behind the group’s cultural projects, to resign.

It’s uncertain whether such government attempts to intervene in comedy

programming persist today. But Korea’s fledging political satire faces another
threat -- a populace that is increasingly polarized according to political allegiance.

In 2018, comedian Kim Won-hyo’s satirical portrayal of then-Gyeonggi Province

Gov. Lee Jae-myung faced a strong backlash from some viewers, although the
politician himself responded that he enjoyed the show and even that he looked
forward to sharper political satire.

Conservative viewers also criticize recent satire programs on SNL Korea, which
they perceive as being biased against the current conservative administration.

Experts note that during Joseon era (1392-1910), wit and satire were more
commonly employed against the class system and the nobility.

The paintings by Joseon artists like Sin Yun-bok, for example, satirize upper-class
“yangban” families. Sin’s and other artworks from that era do more than just
ridicule; they often overflow with insight into humanity and display sophisticated
wit, they said.

"In modern Korea, satire did occasionally emerge, but always with caution under
the scrutiny of those in power, including military juntas," Cultural columnist Ha
Jae-keun told The Korea Herald.

"This affected the country’s comedy landscape in two significant ways: Comedians
had fewer opportunities to sharpen their satirical skills, and audiences were not
well-prepared to embrace satire with laughter," he said.

Making fun of others seen as criticism

Today, some Koreans say they feel uneasy with the kind of humor that relies on
making fun of others, sarcasm or satire in general, whether those targeted are
politicians or not.

"Some people tend to elicit laughter by poking fun at others. But I struggle to
appreciate such humor, as it carries the risk of offending other people,” Kang
Eun-gyeong, 51, a housewife, said.

She has had experiences of hiding her hurt feelings and trying to appear cool and
unaffected in cases where she has ended up the subject of ridicule.

"Maybe, this is related to Koreans being not really good at accepting criticism, or
even advice, especially in front of others," she said.

Seo In-hye, a 41-year-old housewife, said she is sometimes called a “jinjichung”

for her inability to simply laugh along with certain kinds of humor.

“That’s mostly when I express my discomfort about comedians mocking people

like overweight individuals, people with disabilities and those of color.”

The term "jinjichung" is colloquial slang for someone who takes humor too
seriously. It combines "jinji," meaning serious, with "chung," a derogatory suffix
meaning "insect," indicating an excessive obsession.

“I believe laughing and making fun of someone might provide a moment of

pleasure, but I wonder if it’s appropriate to call such fleeting joy true humor,” she
said.

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