The meanings of Korean words are continuously evolving, with "goguma" (sweet potato) now signifying "frustration" and "cider" representing "relief," according to a new government survey.
The National Institute of Korean Language under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released its "2025 Survey on Korean Language Usage (Semantics)" on Monday, revealing that more than half of Koreans use both "goguma" and "cider" with meanings beyond their original definitions.
Some 56.8% of respondents said they use "goguma" to describe "frustrating situations or people," while 71.5% reported using "cider" to mean "words or actions that refreshingly resolve a frustrating situation." Among age groups, those in their 20s showed the highest usage rates for both expressions with their new meanings.
Regional differences were also evident. While the national average for using "goguma" with its new meaning was 50.5%, the Jeolla region showed a significantly lower rate of 33.9%. This contrasts with "cider," which showed relatively even usage rates across all regions. The discrepancy may be influenced by the fact that "gamja" (potato) is used as a dialect form of "goguma" in the Jeolla region, suggesting that local linguistic environments can affect the adoption of new word meanings.
The word "gamseong" (sensitivity) has also undergone semantic expansion. Originally meaning "the quality of feeling stimuli or changes in stimuli," it is now more actively used to evaluate the atmosphere of places or things. Some 70.2% of respondents said they use "gamseong" to mean "a special atmosphere or feeling that a particular place or thing evokes," as in "gamseong cafe." This indicates the new meaning has become substantially established in everyday language, particularly in the Jeju, Gangwon, and Seoul metropolitan areas.
A similar trend appeared with "matjip" (restaurant known for good food). Respondents aged 40 to 60 living in Jeju reported using "matjip" with its newer meanings—"a store that makes or sells good products" or "something of high quality"—more frequently than residents of other regions.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 3,000 men and women aged 15 to 69 nationwide, examining how commonly used expressions are being employed with meanings beyond their original definitions.
The survey also found that negative words are being used to emphasize strong personal satisfaction or impressive experiences. Some 67% of respondents said they use "michida" (to go crazy) to mean "a person, object, or phenomenon that is extremely remarkable and excellent." This represents a significant spread of usage that differs from the word's original negative connotation. The practice reflects an expression strategy that maximizes positive intent by using negative words, effectively conveying personal experiences and emotions.
"Through this survey, we confirmed that the meanings of everyday words change along with the times, and that these changes vary according to generation, region, and social environment," the National Institute of Korean Language said.