Korean slang profile
IMFired
imfired
IMF wordplay: fired
Wordplay meaning “I am fired,” expressing anxiety about layoffs during the foreign-exchange crisis.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Apr 16, 1998
- 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
외환위기 당시의 언어를 다룬 기사에서 IMFired라는 말장난을 읽었다.
I read the wordplay IMFired in an article on language during the foreign-exchange crisis.
02Documented history
No history documented.
03Origin & word formation
The 1998 article introduces it as a new expression spreading in Korea, alluding to the IMF management regime and expected mass layoffs. The first user and time have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The contemporary article’s definition and usage situation were checked. This relies on one article; overall popularity and first use remain unverified.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- “한국인들 IMF 벌써 잊었다”/美誌,소비 부활 꼬집어 (서울신문)Published Apr 16, 1998Original source checked Nov 15, 2026