4th RAS youth forum to explore Gen Z's 'K-slang'

A poster for the RAS Korea Youth Forum event / Courtesy of RAS Korea

The Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea will host an event on "K-Slang: The Echoes of Our Lives," featuring 11 university students who will discuss three slang terms representing their generation on Tuesday.

The event is the fourth Youth Panel held by RAS Korea. Beginning in 2022, the format was launched by Seoul Women's University professor David Tizzard, who worked with students to create the event. Last year, he made the presentation a part of his university course, inviting students to put together and promote the presentation. This is the second year that this format will be used.

The 11-member team has prepared a lecture that will run for about one hour, along with a 30-minute question period, focusing on three K-slang terms selected by the student participants.

One such term, selected by Yoon Seong-eon, is "weh-mo jeong-byeong," which combines the Korean words for appearance and mental illness or obsession, describing an unhealthy obsession with one's appearance.

"Recently, 'weh-mo jeong-byung' has become one of the most frequently used slang terms among women in their 20s in Korea. It starkly exposes the intense pressure surrounding appearance and the unrealistic beauty standards that young Korean women are expected to meet," Yoon said.

"As someone who has personally struggled with 'weh-mo jeong-byung' for many years, I wanted to give voice to this shared experience and shed light on the reality behind the term."

Jang Seo-jin chose the term "rock-lee-nee," which captures the perspective of a beginner just starting to explore live music and band culture.

"Many people assume young women in Korea are only interested in K-pop or mainstream music, but there’s also a lesser-known, more underground rock scene," she said. "I went through that journey myself, so this term felt like the best way to represent that experience."

The third term is "sseom," which Kim Soo-rin said "describes the subtle, initial stage of Korean dating culture," adding that it "is difficult to translate perfectly into any other language."

"In modern society, where romantic relationships often entail risks, sseom functions as an emotional safety net," she said. "For this reason, 'sseom' was ultimately chosen as the primary slang term and central concept for my presentation."

"I feel like being part of this generation means sharing strong, meaningful values," said Habiba Naouali, the event manager. "Even though many of us grew up with similar cultural or pop references, what truly defines us is our belief in individuality. We all have different dreams, different paths and different ways of living our lives and in Gen Z, that uniqueness is supported and celebrated."

The participants also addressed the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in all aspects of life, including their studies.

"I’d say we see AI as our 'helper,'" added Park Su-hyun, who made a video to promote the talk. She said the video was produced with the assistance of AI.

"AI gives us what we need in just a short time," she said.

Some of the students gave their thoughts on recent cheating scandals at Korea's top universities involving AI.

"I think they’re happening because of the speed gap between technology and social systems like the law," Jang said.

Park added that the scandal is "the result of rapid technological advancement combined with Korea’s competitive environment."

"In Korea, getting good grades with minimal effort has become more important than what we truly learn. If we want to solve this issue, I believe we need more fundamental solutions — not merely banning AI," she said.

Jang added, "While AI technology has been developing so quickly, the systems needed to regulate it in Korea haven’t kept up. We need more specific and structured regulations to manage it properly and prevent misuse."

The lecture starts at 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, in the basement of the Seoul Public Activities Center near Exit 8 of Samgakji Station on Seoul Metro Lines 4 and 6. Entry costs 10,000 won, or 5,000 won with valid student ID. Members of RAS Korea receive free admission. Visit raskb.com for more information.