Fan Korean is a small language of its own. Many of its words are shortenings of longer Korean words, a few are borrowed from English, and some mean something quite different from what the parts suggest. Once you know fifty of them, a fan post, a notice and a comment thread start to make sense.
We, the haeyo teachers, picked fifty words that came up most often in our reading for this issue, and grouped them in five themes of ten. In each card, the heading gives the Korean and its romanisation, and the body gives the meaning and one example. The examples are short sentences of the kind a learner could say. We invented no words, and a few of them we have marked with a warning because they describe things that are not harmless.
Becoming a fan, and leaving
덕질 (deokjil)
Doing whatever a devoted fan does: watching, collecting, following, talking about the thing you love. Example: 「주말에는 덕질해요.」 'On weekends I do my fan activities.'
최애 (choeae)
Your favourite member or group, the one you love most. Example: 「제 최애는 보컬이에요.」 'My favourite is the vocalist.'
차애 (chaae)
Your second favourite, the one just behind your top choice. Example: 「차애도 생겼어요.」 'I have a second favourite now too.'
입덕 (ipdeok)
Becoming a fan; the moment you fall in. Example: 「이 무대 보고 입덕했어요.」 'I became a fan after seeing this stage.'
탈덕 (taldeok)
Leaving fandom, giving up being a fan. Example: 「탈덕하려다 돌아왔어요.」 'I tried to quit being a fan, but came back.'
휴덕 (hyudeok)
A temporary break from fan activity, without leaving. Example: 「시험 때문에 휴덕 중이에요.」 'I am on a fan break because of exams.'
머글 (meogeul)
Someone who is not a fan, an ordinary member of the public. Example: 「머글도 아는 노래예요.」 'Even non-fans know this song.'
올팬 (olpaen)
A fan of the whole group, every member. Example: 「저는 올팬이에요.」 'I like every member.'
개인팬 (gaeinpaen)
A fan of one member in particular, more than the group. Example: 「개인팬도 늘었어요.」 'The number of fans of single members has grown too.'
본진 (bonjin)
The group you are most loyal to, your home base. Example: 「본진 컴백이에요.」 'My main group is making a comeback.'
Comebacks, shows and charts
컴백 (keombaek)
A group releasing new music or returning to promotion. Example: 「다음 주 컴백해요.」 'They are coming back next week.'
선공개 (seongonggae)
A song or part of an album released before the rest. Example: 「선공개곡이 좋아요.」 'The pre-release song is good.'
음방 (eumbang)
Short for 음악방송, a music television programme. Example: 「오늘 음방 가요.」 'I am going to a music show today.'
사녹 (sanok)
Short for 사전녹화, a pre-recorded stage; also the fan visit to that recording. Example: 「사녹은 새벽부터 줄 서요.」 'For a recording, people queue from dawn.'
공방 (gongbang)
Short for 공개방송, a public recording or broadcast you can attend. Example: 「공방 방청 신청했어요.」 'I applied for audience seats at the public show.'
1위 공약 (iwi gongyak)
A promise a group makes in advance about what it will do if it wins number one. Example: 「1위 공약이 뭐예요?」 'What is the number-one pledge?'
앵콜 (aengkol)
The encore, a repeat or extra performance, including the song after a win. Example: 「앵콜을 외쳤어요.」 'We shouted for an encore.'
역주행 (yeokjuhaeng)
A song climbing the charts long after its release. Example: 「옛날 노래가 역주행했어요.」 'An old song has shot up the charts.'
총공 (chonggong)
Short for 총공격 ('total attack'): fans streaming or voting together at a set time. Example: 「오늘 밤 총공이에요.」 'Tonight is a group streaming push.'
스밍 (seuming)
Streaming; fans use it for playing a song deliberately to support it. Example: 「스밍 돌려요.」 'I am putting the song on repeat.'
Events, tickets and things to hold
팬싸 (paensa)
Short for 팬사인회, a fan-signing event. Example: 「팬싸 응모했어요.」 'I entered the draw for the fan sign.'
영통 (yeongtong)
A video-call fan sign, held by video chat and not in person. Example: 「영통 팬싸에 당첨됐어요.」 'I won a place at the video-call fan sign.'
하이터치 (haiteochi)
A high-five event, a short touch of hands with each fan. Example: 「하이터치회에 갔어요.」 'I went to the high-five event.'
팬미팅 (paenmiting)
A fan meeting, an event between the group and its fans. Example: 「팬미팅 예매했어요.」 'I booked a ticket to the fan meeting.'
선예매 (seonyemae)
A pre-sale: fan-club members book before the general public. In June 2026, several groups used a Korean pre-sale first and a global one second. Example: 「선예매 성공했어요.」 'I got a ticket in the pre-sale.'
떼창 (ttechang)
The whole audience singing together. Example: 「앵콜에서 떼창이 터졌어요.」 'The crowd burst into singing at the encore.'
응원법 (eungwonbeop)
The fan chant pattern for a song: when to call and clap. We never print real ones. Example: 「응원법을 외웠어요.」 'I have learnt the chant.'
응원봉 (eungwonbong)
The official lightstick. Example: 「응원봉을 챙겼어요.」 'I packed my lightstick.'
포카 (poka)
Short for 포토카드, a photocard, a small card with a member's picture. Example: 「포카 교환해요.」 'I swap photocards.'
앨범깡 (aelbamkkang)
Opening albums to find a photocard, often buying several to do it. Example: 「앨범깡하다 지쳤어요.」 'I am tired from opening albums.'
Shops, apps and the fandom's own habits
굿즈 (gutjeu)
Official goods: lightsticks, badges, clothes and so on, from the English 'goods'. Example: 「굿즈를 샀어요.」 'I bought some goods.'
시즌그리팅 (sijeun geuriting)
A yearly set of a calendar and small items sold by a company. Example: 「시즌그리팅 예약했어요.」 'I pre-ordered the season's greetings set.'
멤버십 (membeosip)
A paid fan-club membership. Example: 「멤버십이 있어야 해요.」 'You need a membership.'
버블 (beobeul)
A paid-message app with one subscription per artist. Example: 「버블 알림이 왔어요.」 'I got a Bubble notification.'
위버스 (wibeoseu)
A fan platform from the HYBE group, with community, shop and membership. Example: 「위버스에서 공지를 봐요.」 'I read the notices on Weverse.'
팬카페 (paenkape)
An online fan community, often the fan club's home. Example: 「팬카페에 가입했어요.」 'I joined the fan cafe.'
생카 (saengka)
Short for 생일 카페, a birthday cafe that fans rent for a day. Example: 「생카에서 컵홀더를 받았어요.」 'I got a cup sleeve at the birthday cafe.'
서포트 (seopoteu)
Support that fans organise and pay for, such as adverts or snacks for a group. Example: 「지하철 서포트를 했어요.」 'We did a subway support.'
조공 (jogong)
Gifts to idols. A growing part of the fandom now says 서포트 instead, and some agencies refuse gifts altogether. Example: 「요즘은 서포트라고 해요.」 'These days people say support.'
홈마 (homma)
From 홈페이지 마스터: a fan who photographs the group. They are often seen with a long lens, which fans call a 대포, and many venues ban them. Example: 「홈마 사진이 예뻐요.」 'The fan photographer's photos are lovely.'
Slang is a clue to the culture: the words people invent show what they care about.
Behind the scenes, and the hard words
연습생 (yeonseupsaeng)
A trainee who has not yet debuted. A Korean survey reported in 2025 found the number of registered trainees fell from 1,895 in 2020 to 1,170 in 2022. Example: 「연습생 때 영상이에요.」 'It is a video from their trainee days.'
데뷔 (debwi)
The first official activity of a group or singer. Example: 「다음 달에 데뷔해요.」 'They debut next month.'
서바이벌 (seobaibeol)
A competition programme that picks the members of a group. Example: 「서바이벌에서 뽑혔어요.」 'They were picked on a survival show.'
재계약 (jaegyeyak)
Re-signing an exclusive contract. Example: 「재계약 소식이 나왔어요.」 'News of the re-signing came out.'
7년 징크스 (chilnyeon jingkeuseu)
A popular belief that groups often split or have disputes around seven years, the length used in the standard contract. It is a saying, not a rule. The seven years come from a 2009 standard contract term. Example: 「7년 징크스가 있어요.」 'There is a seven-year jinx.'
군백기 (gunbaekgi)
A gap in activity because of military service. Example: 「군백기 동안 기다렸어요.」 'We waited through the military gap.'
솔로 활동 (sollo hwaldong)
Individual activity by a member of a group. Example: 「솔로 활동을 해요.」 'They are doing solo work.'
유닛 (yunit)
A smaller group formed from part of a larger group. Example: 「유닛 데뷔 소식이에요.」 'It is news of a unit debut.'
사생 (sasaeng)
A fan who intrudes on an idol's private life, which can be a crime. The word is a warning, not a type of fan. Example: 「사생은 팬이 아니에요.」 'A sasaeng is not a fan.'
악개 (akgae)
A malicious fan, one who attacks or spreads hate. Example: 「악개 때문에 속상해요.」 'I am upset because of the malicious fans.'