Nuance Dictionary / K-Drama Language
사회적 지뢰 sa-hoe-jeok ji-roe
Social landmine — an expression that causes unintended offense or awkwardness
What does 사회적 지뢰 mean?
사회적 지뢰 (sa-hoe-jeok ji-roe) means: Social landmine — an expression that causes unintended offense or awkwardness.
Things you step on if you use K-drama expressions without context. The 'minefield map' created by this article is how to avoid them.
🔊 From the story above
드라마체 — Deu-ra-ma-che
존댓말 — jondaetmal, "polite/formal speech"
반말 — banmal, "casual/intimate speech"
사회적 지뢰 — Sa-hoe-jeok Ji-roe
저기요 — jeo-gi-yo, "excuse me"
반말 전반 — banmal jeonban, "banmal in general"
해요체 — haeyo-che, the standard polite speech level
꺼져 — dwaessgeodeun / kkeojyeo, "forget it / get lost"
Other sides of 사회적 지뢰
◆ Corporate Minefield — Textbooks teach you the literal words for 'society' and 'mine,' but natives use this specific combination to describe the invisible tripwires scattered across conference rooms and ho-sik (company dinner) tables. Mentioning structural company deficits, internal politics, or someone's mysterious departure from the firm are all prime examples of a 사회적 지뢰. If you bring one up, the ambient noise in the room drops, smiles freeze, and someone will inevitably change the subject with terrifying speed. It signals a severe lack of nunchi—don't be the one holding the detonator.
◆ Social Media Taboo — When Koreans use '사회적 지뢰' in digital spaces, they aren't talking about legal taboos—they're talking about the invisible tripwires scattered across Twitter, YouTube comment sections, and communities like Fmkorea or Theqoo. Step on one by casually sharing the wrong opinion on feminism, military service, or generational politics, and a swarm of anonymous accounts will dismantle your digital life in minutes. Learners usually think it means a heavy societal issue, but natively, it's used with the hyper-vigilant dread of someone tip-toeing through a minefield just to read the news.
◆ Interpersonal Friction — Textbooks teach you vocabulary for polite conversation, but they never warn you about the walking landmines sitting across from you at a pocha. A 'social mine' isn't a political stance; it's that one uncle who loses his mind if you mention his failed business, or that friend who goes silent if you bring up marriage plans. Natives use this to privately coordinate survival strategies before a group gathering, whispering warnings to each other about what topics are strictly off-limits.
◆ Social Media Taboo — When Koreans use '사회적 지뢰' in digital spaces, they aren't talking about legal taboos—they're talking about the invisible tripwires scattered across Twitter, YouTube comment sections, and communities like Fmkorea or Theqoo. Step on one by casually sharing the wrong opinion on feminism, military service, or generational politics, and a swarm of anonymous accounts will dismantle your digital life in minutes. Learners usually think it means a heavy societal issue, but natively, it's used with the hyper-vigilant dread of someone tip-toeing through a minefield just to read the news.
◆ Interpersonal Friction — Textbooks teach you vocabulary for polite conversation, but they never warn you about the walking landmines sitting across from you at a pocha. A 'social mine' isn't a political stance; it's that one uncle who loses his mind if you mention his failed business, or that friend who goes silent if you bring up marriage plans. Natives use this to privately coordinate survival strategies before a group gathering, whispering warnings to each other about what topics are strictly off-limits.
🎙️ 사회적 지뢰는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [사회적 찌뢰]로 소리나요 (경음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 그 말은 요즘 사람들 사이에서 거의 사회적 지뢰야.
geu mareun yojeum saramdeul sai-eseo geoui sahojeok jiraiya.
Saying that is practically a social landmine among people these days.
💡 Used to describe a conversational trap that immediately makes things awkward. - 농담이라고 했는데 완전히 사회적 지뢰를 밟았어.
nongdam-irago haetneunde wanjeonhi sahojeok jiraireul balbasseo.
I said it as a joke, but I completely stepped on a social landmine.
💡 Follows the natural idiom '지뢰를 밟다' (step on a landmine) for awkward social blunders. - 한국어 교재에서 배웠다고 사극 말투를 아무한테나 쓰는 건 진짜 사회적 지뢰를 밟는 격이야.
hangugeo gyojae-eseo baewotdago sageuk maltu-reul amuhantena sseuneun geon jinjja sahoejok jire-reul balmneun gyeoriya.
Using historical drama 말투 to just anyone because you learned it in a textbook is seriously stepping on a social landmine.
💡 Warns against inappropriate use of media phrases in real social contexts.
Related words in K-Drama Language
밥 먹으러 갈까? bap meo-geu-reo gal-kka?술 한잔 할래? sul han-jan hal-lae?일단 나와 il-dan na-wa한잔 먹고 툭 털어버려 han-jan meo-kko tuk teo-reo-beo-ryeo나와라~ na-wa-ra~