Korean slang profile

현미

hyeonmi

Short for beauty in person rather than in photos or on television.

Expanded form: 현실 미모현실 미모 (real-life beauty)
Other spellings: —
Earliest source found: Dec 10, 2015
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
친구는 배우를 직접 보니 현미가 더 인상적이었다고 했다.
My friend said the actor’s beauty in person was even more impressive.

02Documented history

2015-12-10The National Institute of Korean Language’s “2015년 신어” included the expression’s definition and examples of usage.[1]

03Origin & word formation

The National Institute of Korean Language’s “2015년 신어” explains “현미” in connection with “현실 미모”. Who first used it and when have not been verified.

Evidence for the origin explanationMedium

The explanation in one National Institute of Korean Language source was checked. The evidence is on PDF page 167; the older article texts re-quoted there and the first use of the expression were not separately verified.

04Sources

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

2015년 신어 (국립국어원)Published Dec 10, 2015Original source checked Nov 14, 2026