Study on the Semiotic Characteristics for Korean Food

Abstract

This study sought to identify unique semiotic codes of Korean cuisine, including table settings, service styles, service ware selection, cooking techniques, and the logic behind menu composition. This research also aimed to verify that yangnyomjang reflects the code of Korean food culture. One of key findings from this study was that hidden codes of Korean food were found in their daily setup for bapsang (dining table), which was found to decodify polysemic characteristics with an emphasis on harmony. These semiotic codes were influenced by the yin and yang philosophy and impact dining activities in our daily lives. Korean bapsang, composed of bap (rice), guk (soup) and banchan (side dishes), helps every individual diner share the semiotic codes of Korean cuisine within the context of paradigm and syntagm. Yangnyomjang, a major component of the Korean menu, also represents a unique code of Korean cuisine in its structure, main ingredients, production, and usage. This study also mathematically verified that a synchronic table setting of Korean cuisine provides diners with more opportunities for potential flavor combinations, compared to the Western service setting.

Colors of vegetables and fruits and the risks of colorectal cancer

“…Korean diet has a unique synchronic serving method/style of which all dishes are served at one time on a table. On the other hand, Western or Chinese diet is diachronic (course meal), serving dishes at different points of time[ 56 ]. A Typical and common Korean table is set with bap (steamed rice), kuk or chigae (broth, stew), banchan (side dishes) and kimchi[ 57 ].…”

Theoretical Explanations of the Development of Youth Hacking

“…Hence, confusion is a likely consequence when a society like South Korea, characterized by collectivism, embraces the individualized cyberworld (Choi, 2014). In this context, the fast-growing internet may diminish the power of the traditional social agents and institutions that play a significant role in social control (H. Lee, 2008). Relatedly, compared to youth who were born as digital natives, those parents and teachers essential for the formation of youth's social bonds are part of the older generation and may have difficulty following this fast-growing new world.…”

“…Considering that our study did not find a relationship between these variables and hacking, it may be possible that the salience of social bonding variables is culturally and regionally specific in regards to hacking. In the case of South Korea, although the proliferation of the internet and internet-related technology spread relatively earlier in South Korea than in other countries, awareness of its potential side-effects (e.g., online crime) was slowly noted (Choi, 2014; H. Lee, 2008).…”

“…Hence, confusion is a likely consequence when a society like South Korea, characterized by collectivism, embraces the individualized cyberworld (Choi, 2014). In this context, the fast-growing internet may diminish the power of the traditional social agents and institutions that play a significant role in social control (H. Lee, 2008).…”