자강두천

Meme Name: Jagangducheon

Pronunciation: Jah-gahng-doo-chun

The term 'Jagangducheon' began to gain significant popularity from 2018. Its origin traces back to YouTuber Boombaya, who used the phrase "The final match of a 3-game early morning solo queue series between two proud geniuses" in an edited video featuring a mid-lane battle between SK Telecom T1's pro gamer Faker and high-elo League of Legends player Dopa. Initially, it didn't receive much attention. However, as Faker's performance declined in 2018, the phrase gained cult popularity, used ironically as "The battle of two proud geniuses (laughs)" to mock their play. It spread widely across the internet, particularly after a post on the League of Legends gallery (Lol Gallery) during the 2018 LCK Spring Round 1 match between MVP and SKT, when both Faker and Ian showed poor performance, stating: "Jagangducheon! Faker's kill angle! Ian's revenge!"

'Jagangducheon' is an acronym for '자존심 강한 두 천재의 대결' (jajonsim ganghan du cheonjaeui daegyeol), meaning "The battle of two proud geniuses." While it initially praised the excellent play of two top-tier players, its meaning has become distorted over time and is now primarily used ironically. It refers to a low-quality match or poor performance between two individuals who fail to live up to their reputation or expectations. It signifies "a low-quality, poor performance that's hard to watch and doesn't live up to their name." The term is used to describe any one-on-one "cripple Olympics" (a competition between incompetent individuals) across all fields, not just League of Legends and esports. Due to its sound, it is often mistaken for a traditional four-character idiom (고사성어), but while '자 (自)', '강 (强)', and '천 (天)' are Chinese characters, '두 (du)' is a native Korean word.

It initially became popular among young people, primarily those in their late teens to early thirties, especially those who enjoy online games like League of Legends and esports culture. However, due to its unique sound and satirical meaning, it spread throughout internet communities and is now widely used by people of all ages and genders. Its recognition is so high across all generations that there are even instances of current high-ranking judges, university professors, and media outlets using this expression.

• YouTuber Boombaya's edited video of Faker and Dopa's mid-lane battle

• Used for a one-on-one "cripple Olympics," often accompanied by phrases like "OO's XX! OO's revenge!" or "Even a slight touch is fatal to each other!"
• In lower-tier games, it is sometimes described as a battle between "two idiots with only pride."
• Around April 2020, after the meme "I'm sorry, I baited you to show you this" spread, the phrase "This is truly a battle of the world's strongest..." was also used in a similar context to Jagangducheon.
• It was also used in a parody poster for Idolmaster Million Live's Mogami Shizuka and Kitazawa Shiho.

• Music Mecca has a video that describes the relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney as 'Jagangducheon'.

'Jagangducheon' is a term that can fundamentally only be used for two people. For three or more individuals, other appropriate terms should be used, such as '세 얼간이' (Three Stooges/Three Idiots), '개노답 삼형제' (Three Hopeless Brothers), or '삼대장' (Three Commanders) for three people; '사천왕' (Four Heavenly Kings) for four people; or 'XX Rangers' or 'XX-gers' for five or more. Furthermore, since this meme is primarily used ironically to mock an underwhelming performance or a "cripple Olympics," it is more appropriate to use traditional four-character idioms like '용호상박' (yonghosangbak, meaning a fierce contest between two equally matched rivals, literally 'dragon and tiger fighting') when genuinely praising an excellent battle between two geniuses.