Korean slang profile

갠톡

gaentok

A private KakaoTalk chat

A one-on-one conversation on KakaoTalk.

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

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
그 얘기는 단톡 말고 갠톡으로 해 줘.
Tell me that in a private message, not in the group chat.
Quoted from a source
‘갠톡(개인 카톡)’, ‘단톡(단체 카톡)’이라는 말이 흔하게 쓰일 정도로 메신저는 우리에게 익숙해졌고 또, 모바일 유저들이 새로운 앱을 깔지 않으려는 속성 덕분에 빠르게 성장한 측면도 있다.[1]
Messenger has become so familiar to us that the terms ‘갠톡 (individual Kakao Talk)’ and ‘단톡 (group Kakao Talk)’ are commonly used, and it has also grown rapidly thanks to the tendency of mobile users to avoid installing new apps.
English translation by Julimmal.

March 2017Messenger has become so familiar to us that the terms ‘갠톡 (individual Kakao Talk)’ and ‘단톡 (group Kakao Talk)’ are commonly used, and it has also grown rapidly thanks to the tendency of mobile users to avoid installing new apps.[1]
January 2018Donga Ilbo: “Then from this point on, ‘갠톡’ (personal KakaoTalk) rings.”[2]

Short for “개인 카톡.” The 2017 source from e4ds news 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.