Korean slang profile

허무개그

heomugaegeu

Humor where an everyday conversation or situation ends with an unexpected anticlimax, producing laughter through a feeling of emptiness.

Expanded form: Not documented
Other spellings: —
Earliest source found: Apr 13, 2001
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
긴 이야기가 고작 그 한마디로 끝나다니 허무개그네.
That long story ended with just that one line? What an anticlimactic joke.

02Documented history

April 2001오마이뉴스 explained the twists and anticlimactic endings of humor popular at the time.[1]
Examined source이데일리 mentioned it as an example of humor popular in the past. This does not mean it originated in 2021.[2]

03Origin & word formation

A 2001 오마이뉴스 article explains everyday subjects, surprising twists, and anticlimactic endings. 이데일리’s 2021 mention looks back at a past trend; the first creator and starting time could not be established.

Evidence for the origin explanationMedium

An explanation or context showing the meaning was checked, but the available evidence does not establish the first user.

04Sources

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

허무개그의 시대 (오마이뉴스)Published Apr 13, 2001Original source checked Nov 13, 2026
주접 댓글 관련 스냅타임 기사 (이데일리)Original source checked Nov 13, 2026