Jeong
Etymology
Korean, 정, from the Sino-Korean character 情 ("feeling, affection"). It describes a warmth that accrues gradually through shared experience, and can even bind you to a rival you’ve known for years. Because the underlying character is shared across East Asia, the concept is not exclusively Korean, though Koreans often treat jeong as central to their culture.
noun · /JUHNG/
A deep, slow-growing bond of affection and attachment between people.
What it names
The unspoken emotional glue — part love, part loyalty, part connection — that ties you to people and places over time.
Example
After twenty years as neighbors, there’s a jeong between them that survives every argument.
Related idea
Unlike sudden affection, jeong is defined by slow accumulation — it deepens through time and shared history, not first impressions.