Korean slang profile

흑역사

heugyeoksa

An embarrassing past

Past failures, mistakes, or experiences someone would rather keep hidden or avoid bringing up.

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

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
중학교 때 일기장은 내 흑역사야.
My middle-school diary is an embarrassing part of my past.
Quoted from a source
감추고 싶은 과거나 굳이 드러내고 싶지 않은 예전의 실패, 실수 등을 뜻한다.[1]
It refers to a past that you want to hide or a past failure or mistake that you do not want to reveal.
English translation by Julimmal.

July 2011It refers to a past that you want to hide or a past failure or mistake that you do not want to reveal.[1]
July 2015Consumer Times: “There is a mischievous assessment that it is ‘흑역사,’ meaning a past that is embarrassing to revisit, but considering the recession that has continued for several years, more weight is being placed on ‘sweet memories.’”[2]

Where the expression originated has not been verified. The 2011 source from Electronic Times 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.