[New Slang Dictionary] Eokten - My Smile Isn't Really a Smile

Eokten is an abbreviation of "forced tension," referring to an emotional state where someone pretends to be funny or shows an exaggerated reaction to another person's words or actions. Illustration by artist Oh Seong-su

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Jung Woohyuk (35, pseudonym), a member of the sales team at a pharmaceutical company, is known for his bright smile with slightly upturned lips. Whether meeting clients or chatting with colleagues at work, he always faces them with a smiling face, earning a good reputation. However, Jung suffers from frequent indigestion and chronic headaches due to the compulsion to always wear a smiling expression. He confessed that because he has always smiled even when angry or sad, he cannot express his honest emotions. The smile he has worn since the university freshman welcome party to make a good impression has now become an emotional mask that binds him. Recently, a close doctor advised him that he might be suffering from "Smile Mask Syndrome." This syndrome arises from smiling to hide one’s true self in complex human relationships, and if left untreated, it can develop into depression.

"Eokten" is a shortened form of "forced tension," referring to an emotional state where one forcibly pretends to be funny or reacts intensely to someone else’s words or actions. Maintaining eokten often leads to forced laughter that suppresses emotions, making one prone to Smile Mask Syndrome, a psychologically anxious state. Professor Natsume Makoto of Shoin Women’s University in Japan, who first coined the term Smile Mask Syndrome, explained that service industry women always smile because they believe it affects their job retention, leading to an obsession with smiling regardless of their true feelings or emotions. Experts advise that forced laughter and fake emotions cause mental stress and illness, so when such demands are imposed professionally, organizational efforts to relieve and eradicate them are necessary.

Example

A: Didn’t the company dinner yesterday feel really off? I heard they just hand out cards these days, but why did our manager stay until the end...
B: I can tolerate everything. Singing, bomb shots, toasts. But seriously, that "latte" series... I just can’t stand it, man.
A: If you don’t react right away, there’s that cold, distant look. The mood immediately drops again.
B: You have to show some genuine tension like eokten so that hellish time ends even a little faster.
A: When we go there, let’s never be like that, for sure!