Tabu w języku i literaturze Korei

Taboo exists in many cultures in the world, it is present also in Korean culture. That phenomenon takes various forms and its existence could be induced both by religious and cultural factors. It could be visible in individual person’s way of speaking and behavior, his or her perception of the world or even generational affiliation. Taboo is reflected in one’s value system, approach to religion and in a broader context – in a nation’s folk customs, superstitions and beliefs. The aim of this article is to present how the phenomenon of taboo manifests itself in Korean culture, language and literature. The main material for linguistic analysis are "geumgi eo" – taboo words and expressions regarding forbidden and unlucky behaviors or actions. Korean taboo words exist also in the form of euphemisms (wangok eo) and replacement words (daeyong eo). Second part of the article consists of an analysis of taboo in literature on an example of a folk story “A field mouse that became human” which presents superstitions and behaviors perceived as forbidden in Korean folklore.