'Myeong Seok-yeol·Han Dong-hoon-nam' Said to Be MZ Trendy Slang... "Isn't It Sarcastic?"

Seoul National University Student's "Latest 20s Slang" Post Goes Viral
"Myeong Seok-yeol, a term for a smart person like Yoon"
"Handonghun-nam, a handsome man like BTS Jungkook"

A political buzzword related to politicians, said to be trending among the MZ (Millennial + Z) generation this year, is drawing attention. It is reportedly popular mainly among universities in the Seoul area, but some interpret it as a veiled criticism rather than genuine favor.

(From the left) President Yoon Seok-yeol, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon.
Photo by Asia Economy

On the Everytime Seoul National University bulletin board, a university student community that requires verification of enrollment through student ID or other means to join and access, a post titled "The Top 3 Trending Words Among Current 20-something University Students" was recently uploaded.

The author, Mr. A, listed three latest slang terms among people in their 20s: "Myeong Seok-yeol," "Han Dong-hoon-nam," and "Him-ri-ti."

Introduction to Trending Slang Among People in Their 20s Posted on Seoul National University Everytime.
[Photo by Seoul National University Everytime Capture]

First, "Myeong Seok-yeol" refers to "a person who is brilliant and competent like President Yoon Seok-yeol." Mr. A explained that it can be used in sentences like "The senior who never misses being the top of the class is truly 'Myeong Seok-yeol.'"

"Han Dong-hoon-nam" is described as "a term for handsome men representing South Korea, like Cha Eun-woo, Lee Dong-wook, and Han Dong-hoon," Mr. A said. He gave an example, "BTS Jungkook is a representative 'Han Dong-hoon-nam' among idols."

Lastly, "Him-ri-ti" is used "when an assignment or presentation has quality as high as the policies and pledges of the People Power Party." An example given was, "Senior Jiwon’s presentation is always full of Him-ri-ti."

Mr. A, who wrote the post, claimed, "What can be understood from these three buzzwords is that the Democratic Party has already lost public support among the youth, who are the future of our country," and added, "Only increases remain for the approval ratings of Yoon Seok-yeol and the People Power Party."

"Mixed reactions even among enrolled students... Curious if actual supporters"

The term 'Yunbeoji' (Yoon Seok-yeol + Father), which became a buzzword among the MZ generation in 2022.
Photo by Online Community

It has not been confirmed whether these terms are truly popular at Seoul National University.

A Seoul National University student, Mr. B, told in an interview, "This post has mixed reactions even among Seoul National University students," and laughed, saying, "It doesn’t seem like actual supporters of the People Power Party. I’ve never heard these buzzwords before."

Another student, Mr. C, also said, "I think it was created with a similar intention as 'Yoon-buji' during election season," adding, "Among students, there is talk that it is a 'backhanded compliment' strategy to excessively praise and then criticize."

There are various interpretations about the background of the spread of these buzzwords. One opinion is that these words were created based on the favorability toward the current government and ruling party, which have proposed policies appealing to men in their 20s, such as abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and raising soldiers’ salaries.

On the other hand, there is suspicion that it is a strategy to excessively praise and then criticize.

Creating 'memes' to win MZ hearts... 'Yoon-buji' followed by 'Myeong Seok-yeol'?

President Yoon Suk-yeol is greeting after delivering a congratulatory speech at the 'Youth Promise' proclamation ceremony during the 2023 National Saemaeul Leaders Conference held on the 12th at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Last year, "Yoon-buji" became known as the "2022 latest MZ generation buzzword" across various online communities, spreading even as a "meme" (a form of content consumption popular on the internet).

"Yoon-buji" is a portmanteau of Yoon Seok-yeol and "father," known as a buzzword among the MZ generation that perceives President Yoon Seok-yeol as a caring and kind father figure. However, at the time, it also sparked online debates about whether it was a form of reverse viral marketing.

So, what about the public opinion of people in their 20s and 30s, whom the government and ruling party are actively courting?

According to a regular public opinion poll conducted by Realmeter on behalf of Energy Economy Newspaper from the 6th to the 10th, surveying 2,503 voters aged 18 and older nationwide, the positive evaluation of President Yoon’s state affairs among people in their 20s dropped by 3.3 percentage points from the previous week to 27.2%. Support among those in their 30s fell by 9.4 percentage points to 24.7%.

Party support rates were not much different from the approval ratings for state affairs. According to a regular party support poll conducted by the same organization on the 9th and 10th, surveying 1,003 voters aged 18 and older nationwide, support for the People Power Party among people in their 20s decreased by 3.1 percentage points from the previous week to 29.7%. Among those in their 30s, it dropped by 4.1 percentage points to 34.0%.

For detailed information related to the polls mentioned in the article, please refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.