Oxford English Dictionary adds seven Korean words

‘Dalgona’ (pictured), which appears in the Netflix series ‘Squid Game,’ was added to the English dictionary published by Oxford University Press in the U.K.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) website on Tuesday, the dictionary updated new words in December 2024 by including seven Korean words, such as dalgona, hyeong, noraebang, maknae, 'jjigae, tteokbokki, and pansori.

The addition of ‘dalgona’ in the dictionary is seen to have been influenced by the scene in the drama where participants played the dalgona game of ‘Squid Game’ season 1.

The dictionary also introduced an October 2022 Boston Globe article as an example of how the word is used in a sentence, which says, “Netflix had just released ‘Squid Game,’ the Korean smash hit that made fans flock to dalgona candy. Many took to TikTok to recreate the inexpensive sweet treat.”

Some view that Squid Game also influenced the inclusion of ‘hyeong (literally meaning ‘older brother’) in the dictionary. The main character, Ki-hoon (Lee Jeong-jae), uses the word to refer to those close to him, even though he is not related to them. In the dictionary, ‘hyeong’ is “used to refer to an older male friend to express respect and affection.”


이호재기자 hoho@donga.com