Professor Hanjung Lee from the Department of English Language and Literature at Sungkyunkwan University is set to publish a research paper in 『Language』, one of the most prestigious international journals in the field of linguistics. This paper, scheduled for publication in September, marks the first time a Korean linguist has published a sole-author paper in this journal (excluding brief articles and review papers). 『Language』, published by the Linguistic Society of America, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, making this achievement even more significant.

Professor Lee's paper, titled “Cues Reliability, Communication Efficiency, and Differential Subject Marking: Evidence from Korean,” is an in-depth exploration of the principles of communication efficiency in language use. The study analyzes how Korean speakers adjust the complexity of noun phrases in informal conversations based on the reliability of contextual cues, identifying ways to optimize the balance between cognitive cost in language production and communication effectiveness.

In this research, Professor Lee conducted a meticulous analysis of Korean conversational data, examining the impact of linguistic and non-linguistic factors on the complexity of subject noun phrases. She stated, "This study provides a deeper understanding of the unique linguistic features of Korean,” and added, "By elucidating the principles of efficiency in language use, we aim to show how sophisticated human communication systems are.”

The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, through which Professor Lee aimed to offer new insights into the universal principles operating behind the unique structure and use of the Korean language.

Professor Hanjung Lee runs the 'Language Cognition Lab' at Sungkyunkwan University's Department of English Language and Literature, where Professor Nayoun Kim and both undergraduate and graduate students participate in producing international research on language structure, meaning, and cognition. Additionally, with support from the university's AI Convergence College Innovation Project, she focuses on developing AI-based English research and teaching methodologies.