Abuse of Medicine

20 October 2003


South Korea's Frenotomy Follies

There is an ugly trend in South Korea that may not undo the incredible progress that society has made in the last generation, but it certainly is a sign that that nation's self-image has yet to catch up to its international standing. Some parents are having their children under go a frenotomy, which takes about half an inch off the frenulum to make the tongue more flexible. The idea behind this mutilation is to improve the child's ability to speak English.

The South Koreans are a people of incredible fortitude and drive. Those who have chosen to stay in the country have produced a vibrant economy and acquired the beginnings of a genuine democracy. Those who have emigrated have enriched their new countries immensely -- the case of the taxi driver from Seoul who lives in Queens, New York, has had a son graduate from Cornell while his daughter is finishing at West Point, is not a singular one. The ability of Korean parents to make their offspring learn is an example for all.

Yet it can be taken too far, as in the case of the frenotomy. The surgery is simple enough, and not too expensive nor too time-consuming. And the benefit is a greater ability to pronounce certain sounds in the English language, hence less of an accent. If that is the case, it is hardly worthwhile. No surgery is without risks, and in a child, complications can be damaging beyond belief.

Moreover, everyone has an accent. It is a part of one's identity. And indeed, it enriches the language. How charmless a world it would be for speakers of English if there were no "G'day" in Melbourne, "Y'all" in Texas, or "nuffink" in parts of London. To the extent that an accent makes one unintelligible, it is a problem, but the onus is upon the listener as well as the speaker. And in the global society that the jet and comsat have provided, the listeners are exposed more and more to different ways of saying "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain."

The dedication is admirable, but would a European or North American learning Korean undergo an operation to enhance the ability to pronounce the sounds of that language? Then, the Korean's should let their children keep the accent. One would think speaking English with a Pusan accent would be a matter of pride, worthy of a society that has progressed greatly so quickly.

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