The use or prevalency of Konglish developed as a result of English exposure in South Korea during and after the Korean War (Byeol, 2013). English in South Korea is at a high demand and heavily promoted as a language of opporunity and advancement. According to Byeol (2013), the Korean government views English culturally and economically advantageous for international competitiveness. Based on reports, billions of dollars are spent annually on English education within Korean society (Byeol, 2013; Song, 2011). The influx of Native-English Teachers (NETs) is greatly encouraged by the Korean government for the promotion of increasing English and globalization in the Korean context (Byeol, 2013). Therefore, it is believed that Konglish was developed through cross-cultural communication and interaction with English speakers or individuals from the Occident, and the use of Konglish is based on Koreans perception of the English language when exposed within the Korean context. 

 

Interestingly, there are instances where Konglish refers to "English words are used to portray an ideological structure differing from the original term. This leads Koreans to incorrectly identify some terms as English, whereas, in essence, the terms have been coined by the Koreans themselves” (Byeol, 2013, p. 266). For example, the word ‘service’ is understood by Koreans as a complimentary gift offered, but many English speakers perceive the word 'service' as a labor provided, either paid or unpaid. Another example is the word 'fighting'. While the term 'fighting' in Korea is seen as a "good thing" and a term of encouragement, many English speakers understand the term 'fighting' as a conflictual occurrance. Some individuals may refer to this coinage by Koreans as verbicide to the English language, but I like to refer to it as a useful addition to the English language. Moreover, Konglish provides individuals with a greater understanding of how the English language is constructively communicated and heavily influenced within the Korean context.