"Maji gomawo" and "gwaenchana"... "Hanboneo" seeps into everyday conversations of Japan's Gen Z.

"Hanboneo" Captivates Young People in Japan
Influenced by K-pop and Dramas, It Is Even Used in Ads

A trend of mixing Korean words into everyday conversation is spreading among younger generations in Japan.

Tokyo, Japan. The photo is not directly related to the specific content of the article. TASS-Yonhap News.

On Nov. 1 (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that the popularity of Korean culture is spilling over into the language habits of young people in Japan.

In Japan, the practice of mixing Korean and Japanese is called "hanboneo." Rather than replacing Japanese with Korean, speakers insert Korean expressions into everyday conversation.

Moeka Takamatsu, a university student whom we met on a street near Shin-Okubo Koreatown in Tokyo, said she often mixes Korean words such as "jinjja" ("really") and "mianhae" ("I'm sorry") into conversations with friends. She added that even people who know little about Korea enjoy using expressions like "gwaenchana" ("it's okay"), which are popular on social media.

Other Korean expressions, including "maji gomawo" ("thank you so much"), "debai" ("awesome") and "kiyoi" ("cute"), are also used in everyday conversation.

Choi Eun-kyung, a Korean-language professor at Kansai University, said that using Korean expressions can itself signal a person's fondness for K-pop or Korean culture. Even without speaking Korean fluently, people can express their interest in and affinity for Korean culture with just a few words.

Companies are also taking notice of the trend. In May, Japanese beverage company Suntory released an advertisement for its tea drink "Bishoku Kancha," using the Korean expression "gwaenchana" as its main slogan. The ad, featuring Asa of the girl group BabyMonster, includes the expression "gwaenchana" written in Japanese katakana.

Korean expressions are rapidly becoming part of everyday life for young people in Japan. Instagram screenshot.

The NYT also noted that the phenomenon contrasts with Japan's colonial rule over Korea. At the time, Japan suppressed the use of Korean, whereas today, young people in Japan are choosing to use Korean expressions of their own accord, driven by the popularity of Korean culture.

However, this way of mixing Korean into speech has not taken root throughout Japanese society. The NYT also noted that the trend is mainly seen among some young people and K-pop fans. It is difficult to interpret it as a change in the language habits of Japanese people as a whole.

The NYT reported that Korean expressions, once used mainly by certain groups, are now spreading as everyday language that signals a fondness for Korean culture.

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