Korean slang profile

과방

gwabang

A department student lounge

A shared space where students in a university department study, relax, and spend time together.

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

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
공강엔 과방에서 쉬어.
I relax in the department lounge between classes.
Quoted from a source
과방은 주로 해당 학과 학생들이 모여서 공부를 하거나 휴식을 취하는 용도로 사용된다.[1]
The department room is mainly used by its students to study together or take a break.
English translation by Julimmal.

April 2017The department room is mainly used by its students to study together or take a break.[1]
May 2021Dong-A Ilbo: “These seniors are unfamiliar with even ‘과방’ (department autonomous space) and ‘학식’ (student cafeteria), which were their normal everyday lives.”[2]

Where the expression originated has not been verified. The 2017 source from Duksung University Newspaper only explains the meaning.

Evidence for the origin explanationLow

The meaning is supported, but the sources do not explain how the expression was formed.

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