Korean slang profile

핫플

hotple

A popular place to go

A place that has become popular and attracts frequent visitors.

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

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
성수동은 요즘 사람이 몰리는 핫플이야.
Seongsu-dong is a popular spot drawing crowds these days.
Quoted from a source
70년대와 80년대 젊은이들의 ‘핫플’은 신촌이었다.[1]
‘핫플’ for young people in the 70s and 80s was Sinchon.
English translation by Julimmal.

January 2019‘핫플’ for young people in the 70s and 80s was Sinchon.[1]
March 2024Herald Economy describes Seongsu Betong's flagship in Seongsu-dong as a 핫플, short for hot place, where around ten foreign visitors line up before opening each morning.[2]

Short for “핫플레이스.” The 2019 source from JoongAng Ilbo 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.