[Korea Quiz] Acting cutesy

Find the answer at the bottom.

If you are a fan of Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, you might have witnessed Korean stars and celebrities engaging in deliberately cute and childlike acts to cultivate intimacy with fans.

Termed “aegyo,” this behavior is characterized by playful, sweet and innocent mannerisms, employed to convey affection or lighten the mood. It manifests in various forms, including specific language expressions, gestures, voice modulation and body movements.

Aegyo is prevalent in a wide range of social situations, from informal contexts like romantic relationships to more formal ones such as interactions with superiors at work.

However, its application requires careful consideration of social contexts, as excessive performative cuteness might convey a lack of seriousness in inappropriate social situations, leading to the aegyo performer coming across as silly or rude.

The first two options share the same initial syllable as aegyo, which links them to the theme of love and affection derived from the Chinese character for love, "ae." "Aein" means lover, while "aejeong" translates to the feeling of affection for someone.

"Aegi" is a variation of "agi," which means "baby."

Answer: (c)

By Korea Herald(khnews@heraldcorp.com)