This news reports that several Korean words, including some featured in the popular Netflix series Squid Game, have been officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). This inclusion highlights the growing global influence of Korean culture (K-Culture).
Korean Words Now Part of the English Language
On December 7, the OED announced the addition of seven new words of Korean origin. These words are:
dalgona: A type of Korean candy featured in Squid Game.
hyung: An older brother or male friend (used by a younger male).
noraebang: A singing room or karaoke room.
maknae: The youngest member of a group.
jjigae: A type of Korean stew.
tteokbokki: Spicy rice cakes.
pansori: A Korean genre of musical storytelling.
This addition follows the inclusion of 26 other Korean-related words in 2021, including K-Drama, hallyu (the Korean wave), mukbang (eating broadcasts), and daebak (great or awesome).
Professor Cho Ji Eun, a Korean consultant for the OED, explained the reasoning behind these additions:
“Dalgona, which appears in the Netflix series Squid Game and other Korean food words are well-known through K-Dramas, making them acceptable for dictionary registration. We are also preparing to register honorifics such as ‘hyung’ and ‘maknae’.”
This statement emphasizes the role of K-Dramas, like Squid Game, in popularizing these terms and making them familiar to English speakers worldwide.
The influence of Korean culture extends beyond language. The British Ministry of Education has also conducted a joint study on the Korean language, which revealed an increase in the number of people learning Korean, while the number of students studying other European languages has decreased.
K-Culture’s Global Reach
The OED’s decision to add these Korean words demonstrates the significant impact of K-Culture on the world. The OED is known for selecting words that are frequently used by English speakers, further validating the widespread adoption of these Korean terms.
The popularity of Squid Game also led to fans engaging in challenges based on the show’s games, such as the dalgona challenge and the gonggi challenge.
Fans are eagerly waiting for the third season of Squid Game, demonstrating the show’s continued popularity.
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