Korean slang profile
복지미동
bokjimidong
Barely pretending to work
A satirical expression about the civil service, meaning to do little more than pretend to work.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Dec 30, 1998
- Documented trend period
- Not verified
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
그 글은 일하는 시늉에 그친 행태를 복지미동이라고 비판했다.
The piece criticized merely going through the motions as 복지미동.
02Documented history
No history documented.
03Origin & word formation
A 1998 서울신문 year-end article explains it as merely going through the motions. The first user and time have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The definition and social context presented in the contemporary article were compared. First coinage, current range of use, and the extent of spread remain unverified.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 공직사회 유행한 말…말…말… (서울신문)Published Dec 30, 1998Original source checked Nov 15, 2026