Korean slang profile

DM

Direct message

A private message sent to a particular person on social media.

This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
자세한 건 DM 주세요.
DM me for the details.
Quoted from a source
다른 트위터는 DM의 내용을 볼 수 없으며, 당사자와 자신만이 그 내용을 확인할 수 있다.[1]
Other Twitter users cannot see the DM; only the sender and recipient can read it.
English translation by Julimmal.

August 2010Other Twitter users cannot see the DM; only the sender and recipient can read it.[1]
March 2024OhmyNews: “디엠, which stands for Direct Message, refers to messages sent one-on-one by users on Instagram, etc.”[2]

Short for “Direct Message.” The 2010 source from IT Donga explicitly gives this explanation. Who first used it and when have not been verified.

Evidence for the origin explanationHigh

The explanation is explicit in the sources, and at least two sources use the same meaning. When it was first used is unknown.

Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.

트위터에 뛰어들어 헤엄을 쳐보자 (IT동아)Published Aug 5, 2010Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
이 정도면 마약, 한국은 잠잠 (오마이뉴스)Published Mar 6, 2024Original source checked Nov 5, 2026