Abstract:

This paper adopts quantitative research methodologies collectively referred to as “distant reading” to analyze the characteristics of two types of the term “Jeohui” found in modern Korean novel texts. By applying these findings to an expanded dataset up to the present day, the study examines the diachronic trends in the usage of “Jeohui” to understand its overall patterns of change. Utilizing digital methodologies such as an ELECTRA-based semantic classification model and N-grams, the research provides a macro-level view of the trajectories of the two types of “Jeohui” in the data from newspapers (Chosun and Donga), spanning approximately 1954 to 2024. The study examines the broader trends in the usage of the term “Jeohui”, which have previously been discussed only sporadically and in a limited scope, to explore how its usage became established and how its meaning has evolved over time. Additionally, it conducts collocation analyses of the two types of “Jeohui” across different periods, offering extensive examples of vocabulary associated with each usage. Through this, the paper aims to lay the groundwork and provide direction for future research on “Jeohui”.

Keywords: ELECTRA, N-gram, Jeohui, Distant Reading, Modern Korean Novels, Newspaper Data