0고백 1차임

0go-baek 1cha-im

Zero Go-baek Il Cha-im (pronounced roughly as "Young go-baek ill cha-im"). The "0" is "yeong" (zero), "고백" (go-baek) means "confession," "1" is "il" (one), and "차임" (cha-im) means "rejection." The meme's name literally translates to "zero confession, one rejection."

'0go-baek 1cha-im' is presumed to be a neologism that emerged around 2016.

'0go-baek 1cha-im' is a paradoxical expression referring to a situation where one is rejected by someone even though they haven't confessed their feelings. This typically occurs when the other person anticipates a confession, feels burdened, or expresses a lack of interest beforehand, thereby blocking any romantic progress. Sometimes, this situation can also arise when the other person already likes someone else. This meme is also used with a similar meaning to the Korean proverb 'Tteok jul sarameun saenggakdo anneunde gimchitgukbuteo masinda' (literally, 'The person giving tteok isn't even thinking about it, but one is already drinking kimchi soup'), which means 'counting your chickens before they hatch' or 'getting ahead of yourself.'

It is primarily mentioned among men who are perceived to have little dating experience or be somewhat socially awkward, but it is also used to describe situations that can apply to both men and women.

• "I got '0go-baek 1cha-im' yesterday. They drew a line beforehand, saying they weren't interested in me."
• "It's '0go-baek 1cha-im' again. Why does this only happen to me?"
• "It seems like they get '0go-baek 1cha-im' all the time. They're so oblivious."
• "It hasn't even started, but why does it feel like it's already over? '0go-baek 1cha-im'."