리즈 시절

The term 'Rijeu Sijeol' began to be used around 2005-2006, coinciding with football player Park Ji-sung's transfer to Manchester United FC. It first appeared in online communities related to international football, such as I Love Soccer and DC Inside's Football Gallery. From late 2009, it started spreading widely across the internet and has now become a popular buzzword commonly used in broadcasts and daily conversations.

'Rijeu Sijeol' is a buzzword referring to a specific person or group's 'golden age,' 'past prime,' or 'heyday.' The term is a compound of 'Leeds United FC,' a professional football club in the English Premier League, and 'sijeol' (meaning 'era' or 'period'). Its origin is attributed to football player Alan Smith, who, after joining Manchester United FC, reminisced about his prime performance at Leeds United FC.

Initially, it carried the nuance that 'the present is not as good as the past,' but over time, this context faded, and it simply came to mean 'a good time in the past.' More recently, it has expanded to be used in phrases like 'Rijeu Gyeongsin' (renewing Rijeu Sijeol), meaning 'to achieve one's best state once again.'

"Leeds Sijeol" (pronounced "Leedz Shee-juhl")

This meme was initially used primarily within international football fandoms, especially in football communities like DC Inside's Football Gallery. After spreading across the internet, it is now widely used by all age groups. In the entertainment industry, it is frequently used when discussing a celebrity's past prime, and it is actively utilized in content like YouTube Shorts showcasing the past appearances of handsome men and beautiful women. Expressions like 'Rijeu Gyeongsin' (renewing Rijeu Sijeol) tend to be used frequently on female-dominated online communities when describing celebrities' appearances.

• "Wow, looking at this actor's Rijeu Sijeol photos, they were truly amazing."
• "My grandmother was said to be the most beautiful woman in the neighborhood during her Rijeu Sijeol."
• "This singer had so many masterpieces during their Rijeu Sijeol."
• "I'm working out hard these days to renew my Rijeu Sijeol!"