영포자

영포자 (Yeongpoja)

"Young-po-jah" (IPA: /jʌŋ.po.d͡ʑa/)

The meme '영포자' began appearing online around 2007. It was first recorded on online communities such as Naver Search and Sumanhwi (a community for Suneung perfect score exam reviews).

'영포자' is an abbreviation of '영어 포기자' (yeong-eo pogija), which literally means 'English abandoner' or 'English give-up person'. It is a neologism referring to individuals who have given up on studying English for various reasons, whether it's English as a school subject, as a language, or as a requirement for employment.

This term emerged due to the significant differences between Korean and English, leading to a high perceived difficulty. As the importance of English grew, so did the required proficiency levels, intensifying the struggles of those who dislike English or lack aptitude for it. A derivative term, '영문포자' (yeongmunpoja), specifically refers to those who have only given up on English grammar studies.

This meme is used by a wide range of age groups, from students to adults. It particularly applies to middle and high school students and university students struggling with English for college entrance exams, as well as adult men and women facing difficulties in their professional lives (e.g., employment, promotion) due to English proficiency. For those over their late 30s, if their profession doesn't require English, they often aren't proficient, so the term can also apply to them.