Gyeotmal

Gyeotmal is a surrounding or companion word that frequently appears together with a Gyejeolmal or broadens the scene and sensory field evoked by that Gyejeolmal.
Gyeotmal does not define, paraphrase, or explain a Gyejeolmal. Instead, it evokes place, objects, sound, smell, light, movement, and lived memory beside the Gyejeolmal and thereby forms a concrete poetic scene.
A Gyejeolmal carries the seasonality of a poem, whereas a Gyeotmal does not necessarily possess seasonality in itself. A word becomes a Gyeotmal when it combines with a Gyejeolmal and contributes to the formation of a specific scene grounded in Korean nature, everyday life, sensory experience, and memory.
Within the four conceptual axes of Korea Haiku, Gyeotmal represents the axis of scene.

Korea Haiku is a literary form that embodies nature and everyday life, place and memory, and cultural transmission within a brief fixed form. To explain its creation, appreciation, criticism, and study systematically, an independent concept is required for describing the words that form concrete scenes and sensory fields around a Gyejeolmal.
Gyeotmal is therefore established as an official Korea Haiku term for explaining the relationship between a Gyejeolmal and the places, objects, sounds, smells, light, movement, and lived memories that accompany it.
The concept reduces abstraction and explanatory language in Korea Haiku, encourages poets to select concrete objects and sensory details, and provides a theoretical basis for studying recurring associated images and their relationship to Korean everyday culture.

Gyeotmal was formulated to explain the surrounding vocabulary and sensory elements that repeatedly appear together with a Gyejeolmal in Korea Haiku works.
Within the conceptual structure of Korea Haiku, which consists of the four axes of time, scene, place, and memory and transmission, Gyejeolmal represents the axis of time, while Gyeotmal represents the axis of scene by expanding the objects and sensory details surrounding the seasonal word.
For example, ssarikkot, or bush-clover blossom, may function as a summer Gyejeolmal. Words such as a brushwood gate, broom, mountain path, fence, bee, and rubber shoes do not necessarily indicate summer by themselves. When joined with ssarikkot, however, they concretize the scene of a Korean summer mountain village and therefore function as Gyeotmal.
Gyeotmal is thus not a word that merely explains the meaning of a seasonal word. It has an independent function: forming an actual scene, sensory field, and lived memory beside a Gyejeolmal.
The term was proposed by KIM SUSEONG and submitted by An SooHyun. It is established as an official Korea Haiku concept following review by the Terminology Establishment and Review Committee.

Gyeotmal has been used in the creation, education, criticism, and study of Korea Haiku to explain surrounding objects, sensory details, places, and lived memories appearing together with a Gyejeolmal.
Its official definition, functions, distinction from Gyejeolmal, and principles of application were systematized in the Korea Haiku Federation publication Official Glossary of Core Concepts in Korea Haiku, where Gyeotmal is identified as the axis of scene among the four concepts of Gyejeolmal, Gyeotmal, Ulteomal, and Deotjitgi.
Gyeotmal has the following principal functions:
First, it expands the scene surrounding a Gyejeolmal.
Second, it reveals the relationship between a Gyejeolmal and everyday culture.
Third, it helps the poet select concrete objects and sensory details.
Fourth, it reduces abstraction and explanatory language in a poem.
Fifth, it enables analysis of associated images recurring across different works.
Representative examples include:
Gyejeolmal: ssarikkot, bush-clover blossom
Gyeotmal: brushwood gate, broom, mountain path, fence, bee, rubber shoes
Gyejeolmal: buckwheat blossom
Gyeotmal: field path, moonlight, marketplace, mountain ridge, white wind, Bongpyeong
Gyejeolmal: the Milky Way
Gyeotmal: thatched roof, chimney smoke, rice-field path, grass insects, starlight
In the following poem, buckwheat blossom may function as the Gyejeolmal, while field path, moonlight, and white wind may function as Gyeotmal:
Buckwheat field path
Moonlight passes first
The sound of white wind

1. A Gyeotmal should be naturally connected with a Gyejeolmal within an actual poetic scene.
2. A Gyeotmal should not be used to define or explain the dictionary meaning of a Gyejeolmal.
3. It should not function as a mere list of associated words or as decorative rhetoric.
4. A Gyeotmal should evoke place, objects, sound, smell, light, movement, and lived memory, thereby strengthening the visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile qualities of a poem.
5. A Gyeotmal does not necessarily possess seasonality in itself. It may form a concrete seasonal scene by combining with a Gyejeolmal, which carries the seasonal function.
6. The same word may or may not function as a Gyeotmal depending on the Gyejeolmal and poetic scene with which it is combined.
7. Gyeotmal should reveal the relationship between a Gyejeolmal and everyday culture and should guide the poet toward concrete observation rather than abstract explanation.
8. A place name may function as a Gyeotmal when it concretizes the scene surrounding a Gyejeolmal. When the accumulated memory, history, and emotional significance of the place become central, it may instead function as an Ulteomal.
9. When a poem is primarily based on an earlier work or inherited cultural memory, its creative method should be distinguished from or explained together with Deotjitgi.
10. The official Korean spelling is 곁말, written as a single word.
11. In English-language materials, Gyeotmal should be used as the primary name in order to preserve the distinctive Korea Haiku concept. Companion Word may be added as an explanatory translation.

When Gyeotmal is used as an official Korea Haiku concept, or when its definition, functions, examples, distinction from Gyejeolmal, or principles of application are cited or used in academic articles, books, lectures, educational materials, media reports, online publications, or digital content, users are encouraged to identify the relevant official record and document number in Malmaru 말마루, operated by the Korea Haiku Federation.
The official concept should not be represented merely as a synonym, associated word, modifier, or decorative expression. The proposer, submitter, reviewing body, approving institution, and proclaiming institution should not be omitted or inaccurately represented.
Recommended citation:
Korea Haiku Federation. “Official Terminology Record of Gyeotmal.” Malmaru 말마루: Official Terminology, Declarations & Historical Records. Document No. KHF-MALMARU-YEAR-NUMBER, proclamation date.
Proposed by: KIM SUSEONG
Submitted by: An SooHyun
Reviewed by: Terminology Establishment and Review Committee
Approved by: Korea Haiku Federation
Proclaimed by: Korea Haiku Federation