하지만 빨랐죠

Hah-jee-mahn Ppal-laht-jyoh (with emphasis on the first syllable of each word)

This meme originated from an overseas meme that distorted a scene from a Captain America movie. In Korea, it began to gain popularity around 2021 after being translated and spread. It became truly popular after a version adapted for the online game 'Lost Ark' appeared, leading to countless derivative images. From then on, it started spreading widely in the format "But it was XX," even without an accompanying image.

"But it was fast" is an expression used to evade responsibility or humorously gloss over a situation, emphasizing that despite poor results or failure to achieve a goal, one particular aspect (usually speed) was outstanding. This aligns with the humor of "not telling a lie," and is used when pointing out that while the overall outcome was a mess, one specific part was done well. The original meme originated from a scene where Captain America quickly answers a math problem incorrectly, then says, "But it was fast." Subsequently, it has been used in various modified forms like "But it was XX," highlighting an unexpected positive aspect.

This meme spread significantly through game communities such as 'Lost Ark', 'Blue Archive', and 'Trickycal Re:vive'. Therefore, young people aged late teens to 30s who enjoy gaming can be considered the primary target audience. Furthermore, due to its versatile form "But it was XX," it is widely used beyond game communities in general online communities and daily conversations, making it consumable by all age groups familiar with internet memes.

• A situation where a boss scolds, "Assistant Manager Kim, what's wrong with this report?" and Assistant Manager Kim replies, "But it was fast."
• In a video, someone who was pickpocketed asks for help, but another person only does a somersault without helping. A comment reads, "But it was entertaining," implying that despite being pickpocketed, they got to see an amusing spectacle.

This meme is strongly intended to humorously downplay poor results, so caution is advised when using it in serious situations or those requiring responsibility. Especially in contexts where accuracy and reliability are crucial, such as work or academics, using it can give an impression of irresponsibility or thoughtlessness. Furthermore, if the other person does not understand the meme's context or does not perceive it as humor, it can lead to misunderstandings.