If you’re new to the K-pop world and confused with
all the terminologies, then this guide may help you a bit to understand what
everyone else has been talking about! Or, if you are a veteran and just here to
test yourself, then have fun flaunting your knowledge!
Aegyo
Literally means 'acting cute' or 'adorable' through certain
innocent and childlike expressions. Aegyo is considered to be a huge part of
the K-pop culture and both female & male idols show their Aegyo charms from
time to time which the fans love to see.
All-Kill
When a song or album hits the top in all the major Korean music charts such as Melon,
Naver etc. after its release at the same time.
Antis
Short for Anti fans, these are people who unite against a particular
artist/group to critique and discuss their flaws.
Bias
Bias refers to a fan’s favourite member in a K-pop
group. One of the most talked about topics among fans, it is the person you are
most attracted to. One may even term a person as their ‘Ultimate Bias’ meaning
that they consider them the best among all others in the whole industry.
Bias wrecker is the idol who captures your attention in a way making you rethink whether your bias is the one for you
or not.
Comeback
When a group/idol comes back with a new music album, it’s termed
as a comeback. Comebacks usually have a concept which describes the type of
music or performances the fans would be able to see.
Daesang
Meaning the ‘grand prize’, the Daesang award is one of the
highest honours that a group/artist can achieve. It is awarded at two prominent
award ceremonies namely the ‘Golden Disk Awards’ and the ‘Seoul Music Awards’
based on the sales of both digital and physical records
Fan Chant
This usually involves shouting out the names of all members during
songs or collectively repeating back lyrics as a show of support.
All fans of a particular artist/group are collectively
known as a fandom with specific names in K-pop culture. One may even be a fan
of multiple groups and thus be a part of ‘Multi Fandom’.
Fingerheart
One
of the most common gestures showing love through a small heart shape, using the thumb and index fingers.
Gayo
The SBS Gayo Daejun, MBC Gayo Daejun, and KBS Gayo Daechukje are
the year end shows hosted by the three major broadcasting companies of Korea (SBS,
MBC & KBS) packed with special stages, performances and various
interesting collaborations.
Hallyu or the ‘Korean wave’ is a term used to describe the spread of the
south Korean culture and entertainment throughout the globe.
Honorifics
Korean culture values
respect for elders which is why they use the honorifics while addressing
others. Both the idols and fans may use such terms in K-pop. For example, a
male calls an older male 'Hyung' and an older female 'Noona' whereas
a female would call an older male 'Oppa' and an older
female 'Unnie.' It has been seen that many female fans use
'Oppa' to refer to their favourite idols regardless of age. Similarly, the
terms Sunbae/Hoobae are used to denote the Senior/Junior
relationships.
Hwaiting
A Korean form of the English Word 'Fighting' is commonly used
as a source of encouragement or while cheering someone.
Lightstick
The custom made ‘Glowsticks’ or ‘Fan lights’ are a
symbol of fans’ love and support towards their favourite groups excitedly waved
at concerts or even award shows in unity.
Maknae
This term refers to the youngest member of a
group. Similar to this, there can be Evil Maknaes, a playful
term for those who are mischievous, Golden Maknaes, who
exhibit immense talent and variety despite their young age or even Fake
Maknaes, who maybe elder members but deemed as Maknaes because of
their innocent appearance or behaviour.
Ment
A 'Ment’ denotes the period during which artists interact with fans
through speeches or introductions at K-pop concerts.
Netizen
Netizens or literally ‘Citizens of the Internet’ refer
to both native or international K-pop fans who either support their idols over
the internet or critique various artists over different basis.
OST
Also known as “Original Soundtrack,” an OST refers to
songs written specifically for a Korean drama. Many idols lend their voices to
record such tracks from time to time.
Photocard
These are special cards usually included in the
physical albums with a rare photo of a random member of the group as a bonus
for fans.
This refers to an artist, actor or group who have
just debuted and are new to the industry.
Sasaeng
This
term is used to refer to obsessive fans who go out of their way and may even
resort to threatening or stalking certain artists and idols.
Short for Self Camera, it is the Korean word for 'Selfie'
Sub-unit
Big K-pop groups may have smaller units under them who release music
separately apart from their main groups giving those specific members a chance
to showcase their talents or try different genres of music. For example- Exo
CBX is one of the sub-units in Exo comprising of members Chen,
Baekhyun and Xiumin.
Trainee
Major entertainment
companies scout various talents and then train them to debut as artists or
groups in the K-pop industry. Thus all idols are trainees till the time they
debut. The training is done in various fields including dance, vocals,
languages among others and the period may differ accordingly.
It’s the Korean way
of typing the smiley face and the term is used to express extreme joy or a mix
of overwhelming emotions.
Vlive
One of the most
famous platforms that idols use to communicate with their fans through live
streams, video series or even posting unseen footage.
So what are you waiting for? Go get your lightsticks and shout out the
fanchants!
All credits of pictures used here go to their rightful owner
About Me:
Annyeong! I was introduced to K-pop through a friend of mine in 2017 and since then, I've been stuck into this world of Korean music, food and dramas.This blog was created to share my love for this culture with all of you. Hope you like it!
Feeling proud that I know most of these terms!��
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