Semantics of phraseological units with components water, river, sea in Korean and Russian linguistic cultures

The article examines the perception of the linguoculturemes “water” (물 [mul] in Korean), “river” (강 [gang] in Korean), and “sea” (바다 [bada] in Korean) as reflected in Korean and Russian phraseological units. The study employs continuous sampling, linguocultural analysis, conceptual analysis, and contextual analysis to identify universal and nationally specific features in the perception of these linguoculturemes in the two languages and cultures. A common feature of the linguoculturemes “water” (물 [mul]), “river” (강 [gang]), and “sea” (바다 [bada]) in the worldviews of the two peoples is their association with the source of life; in both languages, water functions as a symbol of life. Despite differences in the ways these linguoculturemes are perceived by the two peoples, the study contributes to bringing Korean-speaking and Russian-speaking audiences closer together through a shared understanding of the world. The analysis of phraseological units containing the linguoculturemes “water” (물 [mul]), “river” (강 [gang]), and “sea” (바다 [bada]) demonstrates that similarities in their perception considerably outweigh the differences.