Park, Yong-han. 2012. A Study on the usage aspects of Korean Honorifics. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 20(1). pp. 57-77. The purpose of this research is to investigate the usage of “contracted honorifics” in Korean language, and to explain the result in relation to socio-cultural property of the military society. Generally, the military society used to focus on vertical relationships which emphasized on social positions and ranks; however, in these days, the society is changing its focus on parallel relationships which stresses freedom and equality. Thus, the usage of “contracted honorifics” in Korean is gradually decreasing. In comparison with the civil society, the military society still uses the “contracted honorifics” very thoroughly. When one talks in a military society, he/she considers the personnel of the highest rank and addresses others without the honorific title. The usage of “contracted honorifics” in the military is closely related to the special property of the military society. The “contracted honorifics" is consistently used in the military with the focus on the relative ranking order rather than the speaker him/herself due to the special features of the ranking system and the conservativeness of the military. Hence, newly enlisted soldiers have difficulty in adapting themselves to the culture and the language in the military. Although the military is a special community executing national defense, it has to recognize the usage of the general honorifics in the civil society, and make efforts to develop an atmosphere which considers the language used in the civil society.

• 박용한 | Park, Yong-han