Response to the Inquiry Regarding the Official Medical Term for Autism: Toward More Inclusive Terminology in the Korean Context

This letter, collaboratively prepared by Korean autistic community members and non-autistic researchers, clarifies our discussion of the Korean term ja-pye-jeung (자폐증), an official medical translation of autism in Korea. Drawing on linguistic considerations, sociocultural context, and the lived experiences of autistic people, we explain how the suffix -jeung, which carries disease-related connotations, may reinforce perceptions of autism as a condition requiring treatment or cure and contribute to stigma. We call for greater consideration of autistic community perspectives in medical and academic terminology and encourage international collaboration across East Asian countries to develop more neurodiversity-affirming alternatives.