영화 <곡성> 관련 유행어

Popular phrases related to the movie <The Wailing> refer to various lines derived from director Na Hong-jin's film <The Wailing>, released in 2016. Thanks to the film's intense content and the passionate performances of the actors, many memorable lines were widely quoted among the public and established themselves as memes.

For "Goksung" (곡성), the Korean title of the movie:

• "Gok" (곡): Sounds like "gohk" (similar to "go" followed by a 'k' sound).
• "Sung" (성): Sounds like "sung" (as in the past tense of "sing").
• Combined, it's pronounced roughly as "Gohk-sung."

This meme began to gain significant popularity around May 2016, when the movie <The Wailing> was released. With the film's success, key lines were actively parodied online and through broadcasts, leading to rapid spread.

Mainly, lines such as "What's so important?", "He took the bait," and "Never be deceived" are used as popular phrases.

• "What's so important? (뭣이 중헌디?)": This is a line screamed by the daughter Hyo-jin (played by Kim Hwan-hee) to her father Jong-goo (played by Kwak Do-won) in the movie. It is used to question someone who is fixated on trivial matters without grasping the essence, asking "What is truly important?", or as an intense question directed at someone who fails to grasp the core issue in a frustrating situation.
• "He took the bait (미끼를 물었다)" / "He's fishing. He didn't know what would come up either. He just threw out the bait, and your daughter bit it hard. (고놈은 낚시를 하는 거여. 뭐가 딸려나올지는 몰랐겄지 지도. 고놈은 그냥 미끼를 던져분 것이고, 자네 딸내미는 고것을 확 물어분 것이여.)": This is a line spoken by the shaman Il-gwang (played by Hwang Jung-min) to Jong-goo, explaining the true nature of the incident. It is used metaphorically to describe a situation where someone inadvertently falls into a trap or scheme, or unintentionally suffers harm.
• "Never be deceived (절대 현혹되지 마라)": This is one of the film's representative promotional taglines and its core message. It is used as a warning not to make hasty judgments or be deceived in uncertain or suspicious situations.

It was widely used by audiences who watched the movie <The Wailing>, especially among the general public of all ages who resonated with the film's profound themes and intense direction. Given the film's high popularity, many people across various age groups and genders recognized and used these popular phrases.

• (When a friend is fixated on something trivial) "Hey, what's so important? That's not what's important right now!"
• (Seeing someone easily fall for a suggestion) "So, he finally took the bait."
• (When it's difficult to make a judgment amidst complex information) "Never be deceived; you must look at the essence."