Aegyo

Aegyo (/eɪˈɡɪoʊ/; Korean: 애교; Hanja: 愛嬌) in Korean is a normalized gendered performance that involves a cute display of affection often expressed through a cute voice, changes to speech, facial expressions, or gestures.[1][2][3] A similar expression is Gyotae (/ɡɪoʊˈteɪ/; Korean: 교태; Hanja: 嬌態). Aegyo literally means behaving in a flirtatious, coquettish manner and it is commonly expected for both male and female K-pop idols and is also expected or demanded from exclusively younger females in Korean society in a way which reinforces or reflects Korea's traditional gender roles.[3][4] However, it is not uncommon for everyday people to behave in such a way, and is widely used as an expression of affection towards loved ones, family, and friends, and also as a hyper-sexualized form of seduction.[3] Aegyo can also display closeness with others, which can possibly bring people together. The word is often translated as "cuteness" in English,[citation needed] and can be compared to the Chinese concept of sājiāo (撒嬌), or the Japanese concepts of kawaii and amae.[3]

  1. ^ Jang, Hayeun (January 1, 2021). "How cute do I sound to you?: gender and age effects in the use and evaluation of Korean baby-talk register, Aegyo". Language Sciences. 83: 101289. doi:10.1016/j.langsci.2020.101289. ISSN 0388-0001. S2CID 225741798.
  2. ^ Jung, Sun (November 1, 2010). Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption: Yonsama, Rain, Oldboy, K-Pop Idols. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-988-8028-66-5.
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Utz, Christian; Lau, Frederick (2013). Vocal Music and Contemporary Identities: Unlimited Voices in East Asia and the West. Routledge. p. 279. ISBN 978-0-415-50224-5.