jeong
Also written: jung; affection; attachment; emotional bond
A Korean concept of emotional attachment, affection, familiarity, and connection that develops through shared time, care, hardship, obligation, and repeated everyday contact.
Literal meaning
feeling, affection, or attachment
Cultural context
Jeong may exist in families, friendships, neighborhoods, workplaces, and even difficult relationships. It does not require uncomplicated love; people can feel jeong toward someone who also frustrates or hurts them.
How dramas use it
A character may stay, help, forgive, feed, or worry about another person because jeong has accumulated between them. Long-running family and community dramas often build relationships through these small repeated acts.
Usage & formality
No single English word fully covers jeong. Context may support affection, attachment, bond, fondness, loyalty, or emotional investment.