비호감 - 장영란 (리얼로망스 연애편지)

The expression '비호감' (Bihogam) began to gain widespread public recognition in 2005 when broadcaster Jang Young-ran used it on the SBS entertainment program 'Real Romance Love Letter' (리얼로망스 연애편지) towards other female contestants who were her rivals. Jang Young-ran's honest and direct manner of speaking at the time left a strong impression on viewers, significantly contributing to the word's spread. Subsequently, '비호감' became a cultural phenomenon, widely used to express a negative impression of a specific person or object.

Literally, '비호감' means 'a feeling of not liking' or 'an unfavorable impression,' serving as the antonym of '호감' (hogam, a favorable impression). As a meme, '비호감' originated from scenes in 'Real Romance Love Letter' where Jang Young-ran directly expressed negative feelings towards specific individuals. Its usage has expanded beyond simple dislike to describe situations where someone's particular actions or attitude cause discomfort or make one frown. Although there was once a debate about whether '비호감' was a standard word, it is now a widely used expression in daily life. Celebrities sometimes adopt a '비호감' character as a concept for entertainment, which is often a humorous persona rather than their actual personality.

• 비호감 (Bihogam): Pronounced roughly as "bee-hoh-gahm."
• 장영란 (Jang Young-ran): Pronounced as "Jahng Young-rahn."
• 리얼로망스 연애편지 (Real Romance Yeon-ae-pyeon-ji): Pronounced as "Ree-uhl Roh-mahns Yeon-ae-pyeon-jee."

The expression '비호감' itself is commonly used across all generations, regardless of age. However, viewers in their late 30s to 50s who watched 'Real Romance Love Letter' in the mid-2000s tend to remember Jang Young-ran's '비호감' character and its origin more clearly. Recently, Jang Young-ran herself has openly discussed her past '비호감' image, sharing her experiences, which has brought the term back into conversation among younger generations as well.

• "His words and actions are so selfish, he's truly bihogam."
• "I still remember the scene where Jang Young-ran said 'bihogam' on 'Love Letter'."
• "She used to have a bihogam image, but now she's changed to a hogam (favorable) type, which is great."
• Jang Young-ran herself sometimes uses her past 'bihogam' days as material for self-deprecating humor.

Since '비호감' directly expresses negative feelings towards someone, using it directly towards a specific individual can cause offense or hurt. The National Institute of Korean Language advises that '비호감' is not a standard word and recommends using alternative expressions such as '호감이 아니다' (not favorable). Furthermore, it is important to avoid confusing a '비호감' character concept used for broadcast with a real person and criticizing them based on it.