간때문이야 - 차두리

The "Gan Ttaemun-iya" meme gained explosive popularity in early 2011, starting with the Daewoong Pharmaceutical Ursa commercial featuring soccer player Cha Du-ri, which began airing in December 2010. In January 2011, the commercial ranked second in ad favorability. In March of the same year, the CM song was released as a digital single, and in April, it was even added to karaoke machines, indicating its widespread popularity. It continued its popularity throughout 2011, leading a parody craze. Although it slowed down briefly in 2014, new arranged versions appeared in 2016 and 2020. In September 2023, Cha Du-ri returned as the model, demonstrating the meme's enduring vitality.

This meme originated from the catchy CM song "Gan Ttaemun-iya~ Gan Ttaemun-iya~ Pihonhan Gan Ttaemun-iya~" (It's because of my liver~ It's because of my liver~ It's because of my tired liver~) sung by Cha Du-ri in Daewoong Pharmaceutical's Ursa commercial for a liver function supplement, combined with his unique performance. The ear-catching melody and humorous elements created synergy, deeply imprinting it on the public's mind. Additionally, various mondegreens and parodies were created, such as "Tak Jae-hoon-iya" (It's Tak Jae-hoon), "Neo Ttaemun-iya" (It's because of you), "Kong Ttaemun-iya" (It's because of beans), and "Hyeondae Mullihak" (Modern Physics).

"Gan Ttaemun-iya - Cha Du-ri" is pronounced roughly as "Gahn-teh-moon-ee-yah - Chah Doo-ree".

• Gan: Sounds like "gone" but with a shorter 'a' sound.
• Ttae: Sounds like "teh" or "tae".
• Mun: Sounds like "moon".
• Iya: Sounds like "ee-yah".
• Cha: Sounds like "cha" in "chai".
• Du: Sounds like "doo" in "do".
• Ri: Sounds like "ree" in "tree".

Although the initial commercial for the "Gan Ttaemun-iya" meme targeted office workers and homemakers, it was widely known and used by people of all ages and genders, as it was parodied across various media such as games like World of Warcraft and Dota 2, webtoons, and TV variety shows like "Infinite Challenge." Anecdotes like being selected as a good advertisement by university students or young female fans following Cha Du-ri and singing the song demonstrate that this meme spread popularly beyond specific demographics.

• Games: In World of Warcraft (WoW), there's an achievement called "Oh Gan Ttaemun-iya!" (Oh, it's because of my liver!). The hero Brewmaster in Dota 2 also says "Gan... Ttaemun-iya...." (Liver... it's because of my liver....) upon death.
• Broadcast & Webtoons: Jung Hyung-don and Haha used this phrase in the "Byeoljubujeon" special of "Infinite Challenge," and the meme also appeared in the webtoon "The God of High School."
• Music: The rock band A'Zbus arranged this song, and in 2020, Norazo released a new rock version.
• Daily Life: It can be used humorously in daily life when complaining about fatigue or explaining the cause of something by lightly saying "Gan Ttaemun-iya."