Korean slang profile
북금
bukgeum
A Friday spent reading at a bookstore or book café.
A Friday spent reading at a bookstore or book café.
- Expanded form
- 북(book) + 금요일북(book) + 금요일 (book + Friday)
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Jul 4, 2016
- 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
이번 주에는 북카페에서 조용한 북금을 보내기로 했다.
This week, I decided to spend a quiet 북금 at a book café.
02Documented history
- 2016The National Institute of Korean Language's report records ‘북금’'s formation and its usage for reading on Fridays.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The National Institute of Korean Language's report describes a blend of English ‘book’ and ‘금요일’ (Friday). 세계일보 introduces the reading scene as a play on ‘불금’ (a lively Friday night). Who first coined it and when it was first used could not be established.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The meaning and usage were compared with the source text. Who first coined it and when it was first used could not be established.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 2016년 신어 조사 및 사용 주기 조사 (국립국어원)Published Dec 21, 2016Original source checked Nov 14, 2026
- [배연국의 행복한 세상] 독서의 변신 (세계일보)Published Jul 4, 2016Original source checked Nov 14, 2026