Comment on Language and Meaning

Love in the Big City was originally published in Korean and has been translated into English by Anton Hur, but some Korean terms remain in the novel for the sake of cultural authenticity. Most notably, the word “hyung” is used multiple times, including in Part II, where Young refers to his boyfriend by this term rather than by name. In Korean, “hyung” means “older brother” and is used as a term for any male friend, but usually an older male friend.