Say "Ultra-Short-Term Worker" Instead of "Gig Worker"

Authorities Suggest "Ultra-Short-Term Worker" Instead of "Gig Worker"
"Book Decoration" and "Gender-Neutral Casting" Proposed as Korean Alternatives for Foreign Terms

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of the Korean Language recommended on January 25 that the term "gig worker" be replaced with the Korean expression "chodan-gi nodongja," meaning "ultra-short-term worker." They also suggested replacing "book art" and "gender free casting" with the Korean alternatives "chaek kkumim" ("book decoration") and "talsungbyeol baeyok" ("gender-neutral casting"), respectively.

"Gig worker" refers to a laborer who enters into temporary, short-term contracts as needed in various industries. This term collectively describes drivers for ride-sharing services, delivery workers, and couriers who are not affiliated with a specific company or organization but instead sign contracts on a per-need basis. The selection of "ultra-short-term worker" as a replacement was based on survey results. In a public acceptance survey conducted from January 18 to 20 with about 1,000 participants, 89.6% of respondents considered the alternative appropriate.

"Book art" refers to the creative decoration of book covers or pages, or to books that have been decorated in such a way. "Gender free casting" refers to the practice in theater or film of assigning roles while minimizing restrictions or discrimination based on gender. At the New Words Committee meeting held from January 15 to 17, the Ministry and the Institute selected "book decoration" and "gender-neutral casting" as the respective Korean alternatives.

The New Words Committee is a body that provides easy-to-understand Korean alternatives for difficult foreign neologisms before they become widespread. Experts from various fields, including Korean language, foreign languages, education, public relations and publishing, information and communications, and media, participate in this committee. The Ministry and the Institute plan to continue promoting the use of these alternatives, encouraging government agencies and media outlets to take the lead in adopting them.