An ajumma is neither a young unmarried woman (agassi) or grandmother (halmoni).
On the other hand, the Korean word samonim was originally interpreted as "wife of mentor" or "wife of superior"[4] and describes a married woman of high social status.
[5] The Lonely Planet guide to Seoul describes ajumma as a term of respect,[6] but it can be used in a mildly pejorative sense as well.
[8] However, when ajumma is used in the sense of "aunties", it does not refer to a family relationship, and aunts in the family are not called "ajumma" in the Korean language, instead being referred to as "imo" (이모).
[9] Korean feminists believe the low status of ajumma reflects widespread sexism and classism in Korean culture, particularly the idea that a woman's worth can be assessed mainly on the basis of her age, looks and docility.