Humor slang

This phrase originated from the 2009 MBC daily sitcom *High Kick Through the Roof!*. In the show, Sun-jae, who was known for frequently farting, would fart even in front of young Hae-ri. Hae-ri's mother, Hyun-kyung, asked Sun-jae, "Father, do you really thrust your butt in front of me like that just to fart?" Sun-jae replied, "What's wrong with farting? You're the one who should call your father 'butt'! 'Butt'!" Hyun-kyung then said, "I call him 'butt' because he keeps feeding his farts to the child!" Sun-jae retorted, "Do you call him 'butt' just because he feeds his farts?" At this, Hae-r...

Literally "the taste of being an idiot." First used on a DC Inside webtoon gallery for something so context-free, absurd and terrible it's funny. "Byeong-keu" is a stronger version, blending it with "critical."

Short for "eojjeoradago" ("so what am I supposed to do about it") plus "TV" — a dismissive way of telling someone to go watch TV instead of bothering you.

A wild, over-the-top joke or bit — coined on DC Inside's comedy gallery, combining "ad-lib" with the derogatory prefix "gae-" (dog/very). Used dismissively when someone says something outlandish or insincere purely to get attention.

Means the same as "geuk-hyeom" (utterly disgusting/hate it). Also used when something is absurd or annoying, or sometimes just said for fun with no real meaning.

Repeating the same joke or action past the point it's funny, until it just annoys everyone — as if your brain's circuits had stopped working.

He is a person who loves his daughter dearly, like a fool who knows nothing but his daughter.

The fun of spending small amounts of money guilt-free, within limits that don't disrupt daily life — "wasting-fun."

"Like sesame seeds" — describes something done in meticulous, tiny detail, like scattering sesame seeds — e.g. small background jokes or details easy to miss.

Making me laugh really hard.

"Honey" (kkul) plus a shortened "fun" (jaem) — means "a great time, really fun."

"As long as it's not me" — popularized on the variety show 2 Days & 1 Night, where host Kang Ho-dong jokingly said it didn't matter what happened to the other members as long as he was spared. Meant as a joke, not literal advice.

A chain of Pokémon-inspired wordplay (Pikachu → Raichu → "another Raichu") that lands on a crude word for "idiot."

Used to mean "amazing/novel." Originated with World of Warcraft players, drawing on the nickname for the Paladin class ("sinseong-gisa," shortened wordplay to "sinbak," which also puns on "cockroach"). It spread so widely that many Koreans now think of it as standard vocabulary.

"Chaos" (난리) + "Elizabeth" — a playful exclamation for a situation that's total chaos or completely wild.

"Just stay home and study" (a pun on the country name South Africa, which shares its Korean abbreviation with this phrase) — a dismissive suggestion.

It is pronounced as ‘hehe’, ‘kick-kick’, ‘kyakya’, etc., to express laughter.

The term originated when the wife of South Korean internet broadcaster Woowakgood misread "LEGEND" written in the Minecraft font as "LEGENO," and it has the same meaning as "Legend."

An abbreviation of 'photo to prevent cropping.' It refers to simple, bizarre photos created to attract attention and prevent humor posts from being buried on back pages when uploaded to a bulletin board. The term originated on DC Inside.

A pun on "gapanjilpan" (flip-flopping) — the confusion of not being sure which personal-color "tone" suits you, when both a warm orange lip and a cool pink sweater somehow seem to work.

Started when a DC Inside user posted a comic about people in Busan mixing completely mismatched foods together, quoting a Busan dialect line, "Just mix it and eat!" ("Ma! Sseuka mugeura!"). The comic went viral, and afterward "seuka" came to mean mixing incompatible foods, with "Seuka-guk" ("Mix Country") used as a derogatory nickname for Busan. The term spread from DC Inside to many other Korean communities.

Short for "funny but not funny" — a joke with something bleak underneath.

"Eyes welling up with moisture," shortened — used for something so funny you could cry, or a genuinely unfortunate situation. Unusually for internet slang, this one is credited to a specific celebrity (Ji Sang-ryul) rather than originating online.

"Anti-page-2 image," shortened — a quirky or eye-catching picture posted with a forum thread specifically to grab attention and keep the post from getting buried unnoticed. Coined on DC Inside.

"No" (English) + "jaem" (fun) — means "not fun, boring."

Shortened from "League of Legends," the Riot Games title. Someone addicted to it is sometimes called "lol-dok" or "lol-chung." English speakers use "League" instead of "LOL" for the game, to avoid confusion with "laugh out loud."

"The mood suddenly went 'ddiyong'" (a comic sound effect), shortened — a term coined by a well-known Korean streamer (BJ Bogyeom).

It is the initial consonant of 'Real lol', similar to 'ㅇㅈ' but carries more of the meaning of laughter.

Calling someone out and turning out to be guilty of the same thing yourself. From a comedy sketch where the person mocking an African name was himself named Tallulah.

A variant of "haak-haak" — heavy, excited panting, used when getting worked up over something (often something cute or attractive).

The rattling sound of handcuffs — used jokingly to mean "you'll get arrested," usually aimed at someone watching illegal adult content.

"Burst out laughing" — literally "burst like a pop."

A joke word for the stage just before dating: closer than a crush, not official yet. "Sa-" (four) in "dating" dropped to "sam-" (three).

A speech tic derived from a stilted Japanese-to-Korean translation pattern. E.g. "This post isn't that interesting, but it's pretty helpful-neung~"

On the surface, it is funny, but the actual situation is sad.

"I'll make you a superstar" — a playful, exaggerated compliment.

Represents a laughing sound, read as "haha," "heuheu," or "hihi."

"The more you know, the less likable" — a pun on the name of the short-rib dish "galbi."

"Clean DC" — before the far-right forum Ilbe existed, DC Inside itself was criticized for its members' extreme behavior. Once the even-more-extreme Ilbe appeared, DC Inside's image improved by comparison, and its users started claiming the moral high ground over Ilbe and Today's Humor users with comments like "unlike those Ilbe/Oyu jerks, nothing like that happens on our clean DC" — sometimes sincerely, sometimes as a way to stir up trouble on other sites or whitewash DC's own reputation.

"Funny University," shortened — a Korean humor community site.

"Chewing doctor" — someone who knows every good restaurant and what to order, an expert in eating.

"Lust demon," shortened — invoked jokingly when someone's mind goes straight to something suggestive.

From a webtoon artist's comic on a comedy site — used to mean "wow, impressive."

It is a sarcastic term used to mock the older generation for saying "Back in my day" to the younger generation. Also known as "Latte-drip," it is used to criticize or satirize the speech and behavior of the older generation from the past. It is also used in English as "Latte is horse."

The best possible; peak quality. Sometimes used sarcastically for something bad.

Short for "delusional" — holding hopeful beliefs that don't match reality, often about a crush or a celebrity. Often said with pride: "delulu is the solulu."

"Don't take it too far. Go watch TV." — telling someone to stop before they overdo a joke or bit.

"God" + "masterpiece," with myeong respelled as tting because the letters look alike — an all-time great work.

Blends "hogu" (a sucker/mark) with "goaengnim" (honored customer) — a sarcastic term for being flattered as a "valued customer" while actually being treated as an easy mark.

I'm too overwhelmed — by amusement, annoyance or emotion — to respond.

"Life's no fun if you just live it easy, bingo" — a rhyme-y way of saying an easy life is a boring one.

"Nerf" — weakening a character, item, or skill in a game balance patch.

A number that sounds close to "gwiyeowo" (cute) when its initial consonants are read out — playful numeral slang for "cute."

An abbreviation for 'Romance Fantasy,' a genre of novels or comics.

A self-reliant, independent person who doesn't follow the crowd — often used ironically.

Literally "common," but used ironically to describe something that's anything but common — often applied to absurd or over-the-top examples, including odd stories from outside Korea.

Short for "Today's Humor" ("Oneuleui Yumeo"), a Korean community site.

A further, more explicit twist on the mocking exclamation above, inserting a crude pun on "sesang-e" (in the world) as well.

To burst out laughing suddenly and loudly. Similar to "burst out laughing" (ppang-teojida). Often used as "burst out laughing at ~."

"Are you a T?" — teasing someone for answering with cold logic instead of empathy, after the Thinking (T) type in MBTI.

To mock someone with jokes, usually in fun.

"A man who tore his way out of a comic" — someone unrealistically good-looking, as if drawn. Female version: manjjinnyeo.

Someone's coolness or presence. People joke about gaining or losing "aura points" depending on how cool or embarrassing a moment was.

A playful respelling of gamseong (sensibility) — an aesthetic, moody vibe, sometimes said with a wink at how try-hard that vibe is.

Used jokingly to brush off a demand for a logical explanation. Carries a misogynistic undertone, implying "when conflict arises, women irresponsibly play dumb and only act cute when it's convenient" — its use is controversial for that reason.

A viral nonsense phrase ("six seven") from the song "Doot Doot (6 7)," shouted by kids as a joke with no fixed meaning.

A confident, attractive, successful man — often used ironically.

Short for "be f***ing for real" — come on, be serious.

From "meme" — a joke format, image or line that spreads and mutates online.

A playful way of saying your mind is blank.

Initials of "real" — seriously, no joke.

An intro to an emphatic reaction, usually before explaining why something is funny or outrageous.

A deliberately garbled spelling of "run away." Used jokingly to tell someone to bail out — the crypto crowd's opposite of gazua (let's go).

Bursting out laughing — the laugh you couldn't hold in.

It's so funny I've died laughing.

Jokingly taking a bite of a friend's food. Named after streamer Fanum.

Short for "real-life laugh" — you actually laughed out loud, not just typed ㅋㅋ.

Dopamine + "farming" — actively hunting for quick hits of stimulation, like binging short-form videos or extreme food challenges.

Laughing so hard you're "dead." Often written "I'm dead" or 💀.

A woman who's ambitious and successful in business; now often used ironically.

"Nuclear" + "no fun" — extremely boring, not funny at all.

"Even better, actually" — said when something goes wrong but you spin it as a plus; sometimes used ironically for cope.

"Laughing my ass off" — very funny.

A low-effort meal made of snacks and leftovers, framed as a treat.

A pun on 그 자체 ("itself") swapping in japchae, the noodle dish — used to say something is the very embodiment of a quality, e.g. "cuteness itself."

Short for "two proud geniuses" — used ironically for two equally mediocre people locked in a petty contest. It sounds like an old idiom but comes from a League of Legends video title.

"For real, for real" — very seriously, no joke.

"Money" + "a scolding" — ironically "punishing" a good-deed business by flooding it with purchases to support it.

Laughing extremely hard (in text).

A pun on "serious" (jinji) + Genghis Khan: someone who conquers a fun, joking mood by being way too serious.

Short for "did someone threaten you with a knife?" — a sarcastic retort telling a complainer they chose it themselves and must live with it.

An exclamation of delight derived from the giggle sound "kkyareureu"; used like "yar" when you're happy or excited.

The opposite of 영크크 — a playful label for someone out of touch with current trends, often used self-deprecatingly.

A pun on 합리적 의심 ("reasonable suspicion") with the intensifiers "king" and "god" swapped in — a suspicion so obvious anyone would share it; also used sarcastically for baseless theories dressed up as logic.

A playful, flipped version of the Japanese "gomen gomen" (sorry, sorry) — a light, joking apology.

Short for "Oh, this one knows how to have fun?" — a playful compliment for someone who clearly knows how to party or fit in with the cool crowd.

"Confession attack" — springing an unwanted love confession on someone who has no interest, leaving them awkward and uncomfortable; often used as a self-deprecating joke.

A pun blending 머쓱하다 ("awkward/embarrassed") with "mustard" — a playful way to laugh off an awkward moment.

Short for "90% of humanities grads are unemployed" — a self-mocking pun on Malthus's "Essay on Population" about the humanities job crunch.

Short for "heart wound" — a light, often joking way to say your feelings got hurt, as in 마상 입었다 ("I got hurt").

An exaggerated, sing-song way of shouting "GG" (good game). Used not just after losing a game but whenever something has gone wrong, as a joking "it's over."

Adds "Ha" (for SK hynix) to the classic list of elite majors — medicine, dentistry, Korean medicine, pharmacy, vet school — joking that chip jobs now rank with becoming a doctor.

A pun on "rainbow" (무지개): 무지 ("very") + 개매너 ("awful manners") — someone who is extremely rude.

Samsung + "amen" — a half-joking prayer retail investors chant hoping Samsung Electronics stock goes up.

Describes something (or someone) that's out of date or trying too hard to be trendy — "Those 'Live, Laugh, Love' signs are so cheugy."

A respelling of "tough" meaning cool or impressive — "That jacket is so tuff." Sometimes used ironically.

Saying or doing something wildly inappropriate or out of line — "That joke at the funeral was way out of pocket." Can also mean unreachable.

Initials of "라고 할 뻔" ("...is what I almost said") — tacked onto the end of a jab to tease someone while pretending you didn't really say it.

A humorous nickname for a raccoon, from its panda-like eye mask and habit of raiding garbage — "A trash panda got into the bins again."

Short for "wax-crushing ball" — a squishy toy coated in a thin shell of wax that you crack by squeezing. A 2026 stress-relief trend on social media.

A spelling of "cryin'," meaning something is so funny you're crying laughing — "Son, I'm crine."

A suffix meaning to optimize something to the extreme, as in "sleepmaxxing" or "looksmaxxing" — often used jokingly.

A sarcastic reply when someone brags about something odd or unimpressive — "I've never seen a single Marvel movie." "Weird flex but ok."

A playful, self-aware way of justifying spending — e.g. "If I paid cash, it's basically free. That's just girl math."

Slang for a gym fanatic who lives for lifting — roughly "gym rat"; now often used jokingly, though its origin is vulgar, so avoid it in formal settings.

A pun on 확진자 (confirmed COVID case) — someone who gained a lot of weight from staying home during the pandemic.

Short for "laughing out loud" — used to show something is funny or just to keep a message light, like "ㅋㅋ" in Korean.

"Passion pay" — sarcastic term for paying young workers or interns little or nothing on the grounds that they're gaining experience and should be grateful for the chance.

A Yaminjeongeum spelling of 귀엽다 (cute), swapping 귀 for the look-alike 커 — same meaning, more playful.

To prank someone with a disguised link that leads to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" video — "I clicked the 'leaked trailer' and got rickrolled."