lk-99

The LK-99 meme exploded in popularity across the South Korean internet in late July 2023, following the Quantum Energy Research Centre's team publishing papers claiming the discovery of the room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor LK-99. As this positive news emerged amidst a period of many negative headlines in South Korea, a flood of related memes appeared. Various memes were created from July 28 to mid-August 2023, and the meme was reignited whenever related issues arose in March and May 2024.

The LK-99 meme is a general term for internet memes, image macros (jjalbang), satire, humor, and jokes that have little direct relation to the actual research content of the room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor LK-99. It encompasses various topics such as LK-99's manufacturing method, reliability, involved individuals, potential applications of superconductors, verification processes, nationalistic pride/criticism (gukppong/guk-kka) sentiments, and reactions to various universities including Korea University. It is characterized by exaggerated imagination and humor, such as "Sebitseom (floating islands) really floats now," "Japan is now East Joseon," and "South Korea has solved global warming."

"LK-99" is pronounced as "el-kay-ninety-nine."

This meme was primarily consumed by all age groups actively using internet communities and social media. It spread widely among both men and women, especially those interested in science and technology or sensitive to current affairs. It was actively shared and reproduced on various online platforms, including DC Inside's Superconductor Gallery, Reddit, and Twitter.

• Regarding manufacturing methods: Jokes like "If you mix lead and copper and apply heat and pressure, the opponent's resistance disappears" emerged, along with a quip that the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron finally explained why Vision was "baked" in Seoul, South Korea.
• Regarding credibility: Seeing the Quantum Energy Research Centre's ordinary address, some overseas users parodied the "I want to believe" poster, likening it to a UFO. Tweets humorously discussing the authenticity of the paper due to its use of the Comic Sans font also gained traction.
• Regarding individuals: CEO Lee Suk-bae's remark, "Just stay put and watch the results," was widely quoted, and Professor Kim Hyun-tak's firm declaration, "Verification is already complete," was revered as if beams were shooting from his eyes.
• Regarding superconductor applications: Reactions such as "Joe Biden will claim to be from the Pungyang Jo clan" and "South Korea wouldn't implement such policies unless it had developed a room-temperature superconductor" emerged.
• Regarding verification: Depending on the authenticity of LK-99, phrases like "It's over," "We are back," "It's so over," and "We are so back" were repeatedly used in international communities. Additionally, positive figures were given nicknames like 'Suk-bae Time' and 'Hyun-tak Time,' while negative figures were called 'Kyung-dal Time' and 'Merrill Time.'
• Regarding universities: A meme circulated that Korea University would become "a university of elites surpassing Harvard, making Harvard an unknown university." Yonsei University's cheering squad also displayed a banner during the Yon-Ko Games (a rivalry match) that read, "Yonsei Bread 'full' of cream vs. Superconductor 'full' of rumors."

The LK-99 meme deals with a topic that was undergoing scientific verification or was highly controversial, so caution is advised when using it. The content of the meme may differ from scientific facts, and its meaning or validity can change rapidly over time depending on the results of scientific verification. In particular, there are cases, like memes related to manufacturing methods, where the trend rapidly disappeared or its meaning became distorted as actual verification results were revealed.