The issue lies in the fact that various food products use the word “drug” as a prefix to emphasize their irresistibly delicious taste. A simple online search using “drug food” as a keyword yields numerous results, featuring hundreds to thousands of food items such as drug kimbap, drug tteokbokki, drug bread, drug hot dog, drug jam, drug chocolate jam, and drug corn on the cob. (Image credit: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, April 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Amid South Korea’s “War against Drugs,” which is infiltrating the country’s youth, the term “drugs” is being widely used in various sectors of society.
The term “Mayak,” which literally means drugs in Korean, is used to emphasize the addictive taste of a food product or the level of comfort of a pillow.
The term is widely used as part of a product’s or business’s name.
Although the Gyeonggi and South Gyeongsang provincial assemblies attempted to ban the use of the term, related ordinance bills have either been suspended from review or voted off the agenda.
“The ban may affect the trademarks and operation of small businesses and require a comprehensive review of the need to subsidize the replacement of store signs and packages,” stated the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly’s policy legislative office.
The restaurant owners have faced a backlash since the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly enacted an ordinance to prohibit the use of terms related to “drugs” in food, including “drug gimbap”. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
However, the public is prone to using the term without recognizing the risk of drug abuse.
Typing “Busan mayak” on a major portal website delivers a search result of more than 50 locations. Various restaurants come with the term “mayak” in their names.
There are views that imposing a legal restriction on the use of the term poses a risk to the public’s basic rights.
“Legally banning and censoring language may violate the basic principle of freedom of speech, which is the foundation of our democracy,” said Kang Dong-ho, a Korean language and literature professor at Inha University.
“Correcting the problematic expressions contained in the language used in our society requires the public’s voluntary discussion and the intent to change.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
