본 연구는 최근 대중매체에서 언급되고 있는 한국인의 문해력 논란이 왜 한자어에 집중되고 있으며, 또 한자어가 왜 한국어의 문해력을 방해하는지를 고찰해 보고자 하였다. 비록 기존 연구의 주장이 있기는 하지만, 본문은 그 근원적 원인을 한국어에 서 한자어는 본래 외래어였다는 사실과 한국어와 인지구조가 다르다는 관점에서 출 발하였다. 그래서 본문에서는 먼저 한국어의 개념 논리와 언어습관이 시공간의 인식에서부터 중국어와 다르다는 각도에서 출발하여, 한국인의 한자 개념 이해와 한자어의 구조 방식, 더 나아가 의미의 이질화, 신조어의 변화 양상 또한 달라진다는 각도에서 다양 한 예를 통해 분석을 진행하였다.

This study examines why the recent media debate on Korean literacy focuses on Sino-Korean words and why these words hinder Korean literacy. While existing research supports this argument, this study begins by examining the fundamental reasons behind this shift: that Sino-Korean words were originally loanwords in Korean and that Korean has a different cognitive structure. Recently, Koreans' literacy problems, especially those related to youth language use, have been attributed to a lack of understanding of Sino-Korean words. This, in turn, has led to issues of honorifics and informal speech. Currently, various loanwords are used in Korean as synonyms, and vocabulary choices in Korean language life are contributing to emotional conflicts such as honorifics and informal speech. Thus, this study begins by examining how Korean conceptual logic and linguistic habits differ from Chinese, starting from the perception of time and space. This analysis, presented through various examples, explores how Koreans' understanding of Sino-Korean concepts, the structural structure of Sino-Korean words, and even the heterogeneity of meaning and the evolution of new words. Consequently, the literacy debate in everyday Korean conversation isn't simply a problem of Sino-Korean words. First and foremost, Koreans need to develop a discerning attitude toward using Korean, Sino-Korean words, and foreign languages. Specifically, when learning Sino-Korean characters, education on the inherent meaning of the characters is essential, beyond simply understanding the meanings they convey. A renewed understanding of how to harmoniously utilize Korean and Sino-Korean characters, along with a renewed appreciation for the logic of their meaning, is crucial.

【목 차】
【초록】
1. 서언
2. 한국어의 언어습관과 논리 인식
3. 한글과 한자어의 동의성 문제
    1) 동음어의 난립과 동의어의 변별
    2) 회화 어법과 어법 성분의 부재
4. 한․중 인지 사유와 개념범주의 이해
    1) 한자어의 시간성과 개념 인식
    2) 한자어의 공간성과 논리 인식
    3) 문화적 관습성과 색채 의미
5. 결어
【참고문헌】
【논문초록】

• 김정필(경상국립대학교 중어중문학과 교수) | Kim Jeong-Pli