Nuance Dictionary / Slang & Internet Culture
영끌 yeong-kkeul
Pooling every possible won through maximum loans and asset liquidation to buy real estate out of sheer panic.
What does 영끌 mean?
영끌 (yeong-kkeul) means: Pooling every possible won through maximum loans and asset liquidation to buy real estate out of sheer panic.
This isn't about savvy investing; it's an economic panic cry born from the terror of being permanently priced out of Seoul's housing market. When young adults say it, there is a heavy mix of exhausted self-deprecation, reckless desperation, and a grim awareness that they've bet their entire financial future on a single property. Learners often mistake it for a clever financial strategy, but to natives, it sounds like jumping off a high-rise financial cliff because the room below is on fire.
Other sides of 영끌
◆ Cryptocurrency Speculation — While the term originally exploded during real estate panics, internet communities repurposed it instantly for crypto degens throwing their entire net worth—and borrowed cash—into sketchy altcoins. When natives use it here, it carries a bitter mix of self-deprecating humor and tragicomic recognition of financial ruin. Learners often think it just means 'saving money,' but it actually captures the breathless, heart-pounding terror of buying at the absolute peak because you couldn't bear watching everyone else get rich.
◆ Career Burnout & Exam Prep — While originally born from the real estate and crypto frenzies, Koreans weaponize '영끌' just as fiercely in academic and corporate trenches. When you pull three all-nighters straight for the civil service exam (공무원 시험) or rewrite your cover letter until your eyes bleed, you aren't just 'working hard'—you are liquidating your very soul. Learners often think it strictly applies to money, but natives use it for any high-stakes, do-or-die sprint where failure is not an option.
◆ Career Burnout & Exam Prep — While originally born from the real estate and crypto frenzies, Koreans weaponize '영끌' just as fiercely in academic and corporate trenches. When you pull three all-nighters straight for the civil service exam (공무원 시험) or rewrite your cover letter until your eyes bleed, you aren't just 'working hard'—you are liquidating your very soul. Learners often think it strictly applies to money, but natives use it for any high-stakes, do-or-die sprint where failure is not an option.
How it's actually used
- 영끌해서 샀더니 요즘 이자 오르는 것 때문에 숨이 막혀.
yeong-kkeul-hae-seo sat-deon-i yo-j-eum i-ja o-reun-eot-eun geot ttae-mun-e sum-i mak-hyeo.
I bought it by scraping every last won together, and now with the interest rates going up, I can't breathe.
💡 Reveals the immediate regret and crushing anxiety that often accompanies the post-purchase reality of the trend. - 요즘 같은 때에 영끌은 진짜 자살행위야.
yo-j-eum gat-eun ttae-e yeong-kkeul-eun jin-jja ja-sal-haeng-wi-ya.
Doing the 'yeong-kkeul' thing in times like these is honestly economic suicide.
💡 Shows how the term is used in cautionary advice by peers watching the housing market turn volatile. - 내년이면 집값이 더 오를 것 같아서 결국 영끌해서 아파트를 샀어요.
naenyeonimyeon jibgapsi deo oreul geot gataseo gyeolguk yeongkkeulhaeseo apateureul sas-eoyo.
Thinking house prices will rise even more next year, I ended up pooling every last penny through loans to buy an apartment.
💡 Used when describing a desperate real estate purchase driven by FOMO.
Related words in Slang & Internet Culture
영포티 yeong-po-ti아싸 a-ssa알아서 잘 딱 al-a-seo-jal-ttak알바 al-ba알잘딱깔센 al-jal-ttak-kkal-sen