If you have finally entered the black hole that is K-pop, chances are that there are many slangs you are not familiar with. Just a look at Twitter profiles of K-pop fans and you might as well wonder if they are speaking a whole new language. From the golden maknae, that is Jungkook from BTS, to saying something in aegyo, which means being cute. If you are still struggling with all the K-pop vocabulary, worry not for we have curated a list of slangs and their meanings.
Idol
No, this slang does not refer to the 2018 hit BTS song, but it is a term used to describe artists like BTS and other K-pop stars. Because they are more than just singers, K-pop artists are called idols. Earlier Korean singers were called gasu.
Golden maknae
Maknae means the youngest and is often used to describe the youngest member of a K-pop group. Furthermore, a golden maknae is someone who is effortlessly good at everything, from singing, to dancing, and other skills.
Case in point, Jungkook of BTS is the youngest member of the Grammy-nominated group and he also happens to be a great singer, dancer, and songwriter.
Bias and Bias wrecker
If you are into K-pop, your fellow K-pop fans might ask you who your bias is in a certain band. Bias means a favourite member from a K-pop group. Conversely, a bias wrecker is your favourite bandmate who is quite close to swaying your allegiance.
Sasaeng
This term is used to describe an overly invested fan who crosses the line and is most likely a stalker. A normal K-pop fan might ask for an autograph or a selfie at a fan meeting, but a sasaeng would repeatedly invade an idol’s privacy by chasing them to a washroom or waiting outside their residence.
I’m just happy to see that ARMY’s are defending taehyung and not attacking him for smoking but instead they are attacking the saseang who took the photos without permission. #BTS #KimTaehuyng— 리사 (@lisakive) April 4, 2022
Bagel
This portmanteau is made from baby-face and glamorous or sexy body. The term is most often used to describe female idols, like Bae Suzy, there are certain male K-pop stars as well who make the cut like 2PM’s Nichkhun or MonstaX’s Wonho.
Are you ready to incorporate these slangs into your conversations with fellow K-pop fans?
