“Salary Log Out” Best New Buzzword among Office Workers

“Yageun-gak”, meaning “likely to overtime”, came fifth at 19.5 percent, an expression critical of the typical excessive workload that frequently keeps office workers in their cubicles after official hours. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) – “Salary Log Out” was selected as the top newly-coined term of 2016, best reflecting the lifestyle of South Korean office workers. The term refers to one’s monthly salary that seemingly vanishes the moment it is deposited, the result of overdue payments like credit card bills and taxes. 

According to a survey conducted by local job search platform Job Korea, 28.9 percent (multiple response) of 1,051 surveyed office workers chose the term, topping the list. 

In second place was “jikjang-sari” (22 percent), taken from the typical patrilocal marriage life (sijip-sari) and replacing it with “jikjang” (workplace), referring to hardships suffered as the result of the strictly hierarchical corporate culture in Korea. 

Ranking third was “bantoe-sedae” (20.8 percent), or half-retired generation, describing a group of people retiring early in search of a new job, and “messenger gam-ok” (20.7 percent), or messenger prison, which represents the endless array of work-related messages now possible thanks to the widespread use of mobile messaging apps. 

“Yageun-gak”, meaning “likely to overtime”, came fifth at 19.5 percent, an expression critical of the typical excessive workload that frequently keeps office workers in their cubicles after official hours. 

Other interesting terms that made the list were “time-poor” (11.1 percent), feeling always hard-pressed for time; “hon-bap-jok” (9.5 percent), referring to people eating alone, representative of Korea’s increasing number of single-person households; and “sa-chook” (9.3 percent), taken from “ga-chook” (livestock), describing office workers as animals bred by companies. 

Sa-chook, despite the depressing connotation, was also selected as the term that employees could most relate to in 2016.

By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)