얼었어

Uh-ruh-ssuh (like "uh-ruh-ssuh," with the "uh" sound similar to the 'o' in 'son' and a sharp 'ss' sound)

This meme gained significant popularity during the record-breaking cold wave that hit South Korea from the winter of 2017 to early 2018. It spread as people shared various situations and experiences caused by the extreme cold they faced at the time on online communities.

"Eoreosseo" literally means 'it froze' or 'it's frozen'. It was used to describe everyday objects unexpectedly freezing due to the unprecedented cold wave of the 2017-2018 winter. Beyond simply stating that something froze due to the cold, it humorously illustrated the severity of the harsh winter at the time. Furthermore, in addition to physically freezing situations, it is also metaphorically used to describe a state of being overwhelmed or shocked to the point of being unable to do anything.

This meme was widely used across all generations who either directly experienced the record-breaking cold wave of 2017-2018 or heard about it. Particularly, younger generations, from teenagers to those in their thirties, who were active on online communities at the time, led its popularity by creating various 'Eoreosseo' series.

Online at the time, photos of various frozen objects were shared along with the phrase "Eoreosseo." Examples included: "Frozen egg sorbet," "Frozen facial mist," "Frozen hand cream," "Fogged-up glasses," "Frozen mop," "Frozen contact lenses," "Frozen water purifier," "A dress frozen stiff in shape," "Saffron (a weapon)" (referring to a fabric softener frozen solid), "If you grind it, it becomes cola slush," "Mate tea and Haneul Bori (barley tea) are probably frozen too," "Frozen olive oil," and "If you don't comb your hair before going out, it freezes like that. Breaking hair..."