Author(s) :

Hajin Ra, Hyerin Kang.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

The Korean language is characterized by a complex and systematic honorific speech system, which encodes respect and social hierarchy directly into grammatical and lexical forms. While honorific speech has traditionally played a central role in sustaining hierarchical order in formal institutions such as schools and workplaces, its function within the family, an environment oriented toward intimacy rather than hierarchy, remains contested. This study investigates whether the use of honorific speech in the family setting is associated with perceived family harmony or emotional distance among Korean adolescents. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 210 participants aged 10 to 24 in South Korea. Honorific speech usage frequency and perceptions of family harmony were measured using self-report scales assessing respect, communication quality, conflict resolution, and emotional support. The results indicate that a supermajority of respondents (71.9%) reported using honorific speech when addressing elder family members. This prevalence coincided with consistently high agreement across family harmony indicators, including respect toward parents, emotional support, and effective conflict resolution. Notably, frequent honorific use was not associated with lower intimacy; rather, the findings suggest a positive association between honorific speech and perceptions of harmonious family relationships. Taken together, these findings challenge the assumption that linguistic formality necessarily undermines emotional closeness in the home. Instead, they suggest that honorific speech may function as a culturally grounded mechanism that supports respectful communication and relational stability within contemporary Korean families.