Politics slang

Literally "seolleongtang (ox-bone soup) eaten through the nose" — a reference to the historical use of water torture against government critics. Now used to mean "you'll get in trouble" for posting something critical of the government.

"Leftist commie" (shortened, using a Cold War-era slur for communists) — typically used by right-leaning users to insult left-leaning ones.

"Left-wing zombie," shortened — typically used by right-leaning users to insult left-leaning ones.

"The X-family bastard" (shortened) — attaches a surname to insult a notorious or infamous person who shares it, commonly used on gaming/politics-adjacent forums to refer to specific public figures by surname alone.

"Right-wing zombie," shortened — typically used by left-leaning users to insult right-leaning ones.

"Reactionary diehard" (shortened from a term for stubbornly clinging to old customs) — typically used by left-leaning users to insult right-leaning ones.

This is aimed at the resignation of Kim Eui-kyum during his time as Blue House spokesperson due to allegations of real estate speculation in Heukseok-dong, Seoul. People Power Party lawmaker Heo Eun-ah criticized Open Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Eui-kyum, who had stated that "impersonating the police was a common occurrence" during the reporting process in the past media environment, telling him to "at least pretend to be righteous" and calling him "Truly Heukseok Eui-kyum."

Short for "sorry for being a liberal-arts major" — a self-deprecating joke about humanities grads' poor job prospects (or their weak math/science).

Short for "traditional wife" — a woman who embraces traditional homemaker roles and often promotes that lifestyle on social media. The term is frequently used critically.

A label for the ardent supporters of Lee Jae-myung. Supporters use it as a self-name meaning "daughters of reform," while critics use it disparagingly for his hardline, uncritical base, so its tone depends on who's speaking.

Short for a crude phrase meaning "Moon Jae-in even if my head gets cracked" — die-hard supporters of former president Moon. Once a self-label of loyalty, it's now mostly used as a derogatory term for blind followers.

An insult for someone seen as overly sensitive or easily offended, typically aimed by the right at liberals or young people — "Don't be such a snowflake."

Literally "watermelon" — blue (the Democratic Party's color) outside, red (the rival People Power Party's color) inside. A derogatory label used mainly by hardline Lee Jae-myung supporters against Democratic Party politicians outside his faction.

Short for "men in their twenties," popularized as a voting-bloc label after the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election. It often implies young men seen as anti-feminist or conservative-leaning, a generalization many in that group reject.

Originally meant alert to racial and social injustice; now often used disapprovingly, mainly by critics on the right, for progressive views seen as extreme — "They called the ad too woke."

Short for "gagging someone's mouth." It spread as a political term after a protesting graduate was physically gagged and removed by security during the president's speech at KAIST's February 2024 graduation, and is mainly used by critics to describe authorities silencing dissent.

Originally short for "cuckold"; now a derogatory, often offensive insult for a man seen as weak or submissive, popular on the online right for mocking moderates and liberals (see "cuckservative").

A crude, sexually insulting slur for "Moonlight Knights," a fan group of former President Moon Jae-in, spread from far-right online communities. It drew wide attention in 2019 when a politician used it publicly and later apologized.

"Moon fanboy" — a hardcore supporter of former President Moon Jae-in. Sometimes used by supporters themselves, but usually a disparaging label for his most zealous backers.

An ironic meme portraying Joe Biden as a ruthless, laser-eyed power figure, spun off from "Let's Go Brandon"; mostly used by his supporters as praise, though sometimes still mockingly.

An offensive blend of "liberal" and "-tard," used by political opponents to call a liberal or progressive stupid.

A euphemism for "F*** Joe Biden," born in 2021 when a TV reporter misheard a crowd chant as cheering for driver Brandon Brown. Used by Biden's critics on signs, merch, and memes.

"Native-born Japanese pirates" — a derogatory label for Koreans seen as glorifying Japanese colonial rule or siding with Japan. Mostly used by progressives against conservatives; critics say it is applied too loosely.

Short for "women in their twenties," the counterpart to 이대남 used for young female voters as a bloc — often described in 2022 as the last big group of undecided voters.

"Yoon again" — a slogan chanted by hardline supporters of former president Yoon Suk Yeol after his April 2025 removal from office, calling for his political comeback; critics also use it as a label for that hardline camp.

A derogatory insult for a man seen as weak or unmanly, typically aimed by right-leaning users at liberal men; based on the myth that soy lowers testosterone.

Short for "Republican in name only" — a disparaging label Republicans use for party members they see as disloyal or not conservative enough.

Literally "stamped No. 2": a label for people who voted for ballot No. 2 (Yoon Suk-yeol) in the 2022 presidential election, later for People Power Party supporters in general. Used mainly by pro-Democratic communities and considered derogatory.

A mocking twist on the name of the People Power Party (국민의힘), swapping "power" for "burden"; used by the party's critics and seen as derogatory by its members.

"Stamped No. 1": someone who voted for ballot No. 1 (Lee Jae-myung) in 2022, or a Democratic Party supporter generally. Conservative communities use it as a put-down mirroring 2찍, while some Democratic supporters use it neutrally about themselves.

A derogatory Korean slur for a communist or anyone seen as sympathizing with communism; historically used to brand political opponents as leftists or enemies of the state.

Making an extreme or irrational person or idea seem more reasonable than it is. Used especially as a liberal criticism of mainstream media coverage of conservative politics — "That headline is pure sanewashing."

Acronym for "Trump Always Chickens Out," a mocking Wall Street term from 2025 for the pattern of announcing tough tariffs and then delaying or reversing them when markets fall; supporters describe the reversals as negotiation. Often heard in "the TACO trade."

Short for "crayfish, crucian carp, frog" — ordinary people with little chance of climbing the social ladder. Often used wryly to mock the idea that everyone should be content staying in the "stream" while elites rise.

The syllable 윤 (Yoon) flipped upside down — an internet nickname used by critics to mock former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol. It is considered derogatory.

Political slang for deliberately provoking or upsetting liberals, often as an end in itself; used both by conservatives and, mockingly, by critics — "He only did it to own the libs."

Literally "following the North" — a Korean political label for people or groups seen as blindly supporting North Korea's regime. Some treat it as a descriptive criticism, while others see it as a smear used to tar opponents as pro-North.

Short for "social justice warrior" — a pejorative label for someone seen as aggressively promoting progressive causes, used mostly by critics.

Publicly showing off your moral or political stance to look good, without doing much — a disparaging accusation. "That post is just virtue signaling."

"Bro" + "oligarchy" — a small group of ultra-rich male tech moguls seen as wielding political power; used critically.

A term for conservative citizens and groups who rally carrying the South Korean flag. It spread during the 2016–2017 protests against the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

A derogatory nickname for former South Korean president Moon Jae-in, blending his name with "재앙" (disaster). It is used mainly in conservative and far-right online spaces critical of him.

A derogatory nickname for former Korean president Lee Myung-bak, likening his looks to a rat (쥐); used by his critics online and in politics during his presidency.

A derogatory nickname for former Korean president Park Geun-hye, combining 닭 ("chicken") with her name to mock her as forgetful or ignorant; also spelled 닭그네.

Internet slang meaning "done for" or "dead," spread by mocking the death of former president Roh Moo-hyun via an old drink ad; widely condemned as a derogatory slur.

A derogatory nickname for Korean politician Lee Jae-myung, used mainly by his opponents; the "찢" ("rip") prefix is usually traced to an old controversy over his profanity toward a relative.

Short for "the leader will be Lee Jae-myung anyway" — political shorthand for the sense that his win in the Democratic Party's 2022 and 2024 leadership races was a foregone conclusion. The People Power Party parallel is 어대한 (for Han Dong-hoon).

Short for "key associates of Yoon" — politicians seen as President Yoon Suk-yeol's inner circle during his term, usually used critically. A spin-off, 윤핵관 호소인, mocks people who merely claim to be in that circle.

A nickname for ardent online supporters of former President Moon Jae-in, likening them to the fearless honey badger. Reportedly coined from within the supporter base rather than as an outside insult.

Originally a Go term for splitting an opponent's territory — now a critical word for dividing people by region, gender, or generation to turn them against each other. Mostly aimed at political strategy, though some note it also gets used to dismiss dissenting views.