Korean Slang, Jargon, and New Words from Double-Tongued Dictionary

Korean language, including Konglish. You can also see entries assigned to this category.

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efeel n. A new name “Efeel” was chosen to replace the English word condom in a bid to shake off the negative image of condoms and help make them more friendly to the traditionally-conservative Koreans, the Korean Anti-AIDS Federation announced yesterday. “Efeel” is a newly coined term, which has a combined meaning of something you must have to make love. “E” is from Korean word “Eh” meaning love and “feel” from “phil’ meaning must or must-have. [Korean South Korea Sex & Sexuality] [full cite] (Nov. 25, 2004)

freeter n. Some young people choose to live on a series of part-time jobs rather than look for a permanent one. In the local vernacular, they’re called “freeters,” a combination of “free” and “arbeiter,” which is German for “worker.” [English German Korean South Korea Employment] [full cite] (Jun. 14, 2004)

gamtizen n. Gamtizen “Game” + “citizen.” Game players in virtual communities. Example: Once the Web site opens, we’re expecting visits by at least 15,000 gamtizens per hour. [Korean South Korea] [full cite] (Jan. 17, 2005)

hapgal n. Hapgal “Hapseong” + “gallery.” Hapseong in Korean means digitally altering an image. Example: When did Madonna ever wear hanbok? That’s just a hapgal. [Korean South Korea] [full cite] (Jan. 17, 2005)

happening n. “If there was a big explosion around September 9, we would have found some evidence of it,” he said. “It’s highly likely that this explosion will turn out to be a ‘happening,‘“ he concluded. The English word “happening” is used in South Korea to describe a situation where a big fuss is stirred up over nothing. [English-derived Korean South Korea] [full cite] (Sep. 15, 2004)

kae n. A minimum of 20 people participate, and the cost is $100 a week. Every week the players pay their share until the susu organizer collects a stack of bills totaling $2,000. And every week, one player takes home all the cash. The rotation ends 20 weeks later after everybody has had a payday. Susu is the West Indian term for money pools. Mexicans refer to them as tandas. In Korean they are called kaes. [ Language Korean Subject Money & Finance] [full cite] (Nov. 27, 2005)

kiabai n. To my embarrassment I have only now learned the native or in-group term for the wandering salespersons in the Seoul subway system, kiabai, even though I was staying in Korea on a long-term basis at the time when the phenomenon was common. A kiabai salesperson in the Ddanzi Ilbo article linked below explains that word is coined from the English “gear” and “buy”. [English-derived Korean South Korea] [full cite] (Mar. 13, 2005)

lolicom n. Lolicom “Lolita” + “complex.” When a man is infatuated with pretty young girls. Example: He’s married to an older woman, but he has a Lolicom online. [Korean South Korea] [full cite] (Jan. 17, 2005)

molting n. Molting To chat secretly online. (From the Korean word mollae, which means “secretly.") Example: Sam gets a kick out of molting with lonely housewives. [Korean South Korea] [full cite] (Jan. 17, 2005)

momjjang n. If you came up with “Momjjang” then you are correct. This quickly coined phrase, which literally means in Korean slang “good body shape” or “knockout body,” and the fitness craze that it spawned became one of the year’s biggest trends that had young people and middle-aged people sweating it out in health clubs losing those unwanted pounds and getting into shape. [Korean South Korea Health] [full cite] (Dec. 14, 2004)

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