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This meme is presumed to have emerged as a neologism in 2015. Since 2016, it has become a popular term frequently used even on terrestrial broadcasts and major daily newspapers.

'Mun-song-ham-ni-da' is an abbreviation of 'Mun-gwa-ra-seo Joe-song-ham-ni-da' (meaning 'I'm sorry for being a liberal arts major'). It is a self-deprecating black humor used by liberal arts students to humble themselves. It is primarily used in two situations. First, when liberal arts students are unfamiliar with jokes or common knowledge related to high school science (STEM) subjects like math or science. Second, it is used by liberal arts students to self-deprecate, reflecting the reality of significantly lower employment rates for liberal arts majors compared to STEM majors. The latter meaning is particularly considered the fundamental reason for the emergence of this meme. While liberal arts knowledge was highly valued in the past, this meme reflects the current reality where the social standing of liberal arts graduates has declined. This shift began with the introduction of advanced Western civilization during the late Joseon Dynasty and continued through the industrialization period after liberation, which saw the development of STEM industries.

Primarily used by liberal arts students and job seekers with liberal arts backgrounds. They are typically young people, ranging from their late teens to early thirties.

• When unable to answer a STEM-related question, one might say "Mun-song-ham-ni-da..." to self-deprecatingly express their lack of knowledge.
• Liberal arts students struggling with unemployment might lament their situation by saying, "Mun-song-ham-ni-da, I failed another application today."

'Mun-song-ham-ni-da' is a form of black humor used by liberal arts students themselves to self-deprecatingly express their situation. Therefore, if someone who is not a liberal arts student uses this expression towards a liberal arts student, it can be perceived as demeaning or mocking, so caution is advised. There was even an incident where the President of Sungkyunkwan University had to personally apologize after the Department of Mechanical Engineering put up a banner mocking liberal arts students. Furthermore, there have been cases where this expression was misused in specific political contexts, leading to controversy, so it is advisable to use it with care.

"Mun-song-ham-ni-da" is pronounced roughly as "Moon-song-hahm-nee-dah."