Yaminjeongeum

Yaminjeongeum is a South Korean Internet meme which disassembles Hangul characters of a word and replaces them with others which appear similar to the correct form. For example, is changed into, since resembles . The name Yaminjeongeum is a blend of Hunminjeongeum and ; is short for, the domestic baseball league section of DC Inside.

Usage

There are various ways to convert a word into yaminjeongeum: just replacing its consonants or vowels, rotating it, compacting it, or even using the Latin alphabet. Some word plays are often considered to be Yaminjeongeum, though they existed before it. There is no standard of the meme, only popular forms. The following are some common examples of it:

Popularity

There is no definitive source of the origin of Yaminjeongeum. It is commonly used in public, especially by teens, and even appears on TV advertisements.
Critics state that the meme destroys Hangul and is a type of verbal violence, but supporters state that it is just a part of culture and improves the Korean language.