물...물고기 - 에드워드 리

"Mul...Mul-gogi - Edward Lee" is pronounced roughly as "Mool...Mool-go-gee - Edward Lee." The "mul" sounds like "mool" in English, and "gogi" sounds like "go-gee."

This meme began to gain significant popularity from late 2024 to early 2025, following the broadcast of the Netflix original series 'Black & White Chef: Culinary Class War.' It spread widely across the internet, particularly after Chef Edward Lee's memorable line, "Mul...Mul-gogi. Seafood." during a team challenge became a hot topic.

The 'Mul...Mul-gogi' meme is primarily used when someone makes an unexpected choice or a decision that deviates from their area of expertise. Its origin lies in the 'Black & White Chef' program, where Edward Lee, a chef specializing in meat dishes, chose the fish team instead of the meat team during a challenge. Due to a lengthy explanation of the rules, the interpreter simply conveyed to him, "You must choose fish." Chef Edward Lee then responded in broken Korean, "Mul...Mul-gogi. Seafood.," thereby selecting the fish team. Thus, the meme is humorously used to express situations where one makes an unexpected choice, either unintentionally or due to external factors. Additionally, Chef Edward Lee's mention of his Korean name, 'Lee Kyun,' and his expression of affection for Korea are also often recalled in connection with this meme.

It is actively used among viewers who watched Netflix's 'Black & White Chef' and internet community users. It gained popularity among both men and women across a wide age range, from their 20s to 40s, who are interested in cooking shows or reality programs.

• "I'm definitely a meat person, but today I'm craving mul...mul-gogi. Seafood."
• "In the team project, there was definitely an area I was good at, but somehow I ended up with mul...mul-gogi. Seafood."
• "I definitely intended to do this, but somehow I ended up choosing mul...mul-gogi. Seafood."

This meme is fundamentally used in humorous and lighthearted situations. Care should be taken not to use it to belittle someone's unintended choice or mistake. Since the situation originated from Chef Edward Lee's broken Korean and a misunderstanding in translation, it is advisable to consider the context to avoid any nuance that might mock specific language abilities or cultural backgrounds.