범 내려온다

This meme exploded in popularity starting in the second half of 2020, after the band Leenalchi's song 'Tiger is Coming' (범 내려온다) was released on February 21, 2020, and subsequently used in the Korea Tourism Organization's (KTO) promotional video 'Feel the Rhythm of KOREA'. In particular, the KTO video, first posted on July 30, 2020, garnered over 600 million views on YouTube and social media within just four months, becoming a social phenomenon. Its popularity continued through 2021 and 2022 with various covers and parodies.

'Tiger is Coming' (범 내려온다) is a song that reinterprets a passage from Sugungga (Byeoljubujeon), a pansori-style novel from the late Joseon Dynasty, with a modern twist. In Sugungga, the turtle minister Byeoljubu comes ashore to find a rabbit, intending to call out 'Mr. Rabbit' (토선생) but mistakenly calls out 'Mr. Tiger' (호선생), leading to a tiger descending from the mountain. The song vividly describes this scene, portraying a tiger with a silkworm-like head, torn ears, a spotted body, and a long tail, scratching at grass roots with claws like new sickles as it descends. This song is praised for blending pansori with new wave music techniques, captivating both musicality and popular appeal.

'Tiger is Coming' (범 내려온다) is a meme that anyone, regardless of age or gender, can joyfully enjoy, and it was widely consumed across all generations. Following the success of the KTO video, various entities, including local governments, celebrities, religious organizations, school students, dance instructors, and the general public, participated in covers and parodies, proving its widespread popularity.

• Various local governments, including Yangju, Gapyeong, Busan Saha-gu, Busan Jin-gu, Paju, Seosan, Chungju, and Gwangju, parodied it for local promotional videos.

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• Various celebrities and organizations, such as singer Sunwoo Jung-a, National Assembly member Lee Young, the Catholic Church, Mirisaenghwal, SBS announcers, Boston Dynamics' humanoid robots, and the Republic of Korea Army, produced cover videos.

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"Bum Naeryeonda" is pronounced roughly as "Buhm Nay-ryuh-own-dah."