Korean slang profile
중고폰족
junggoponjok
Used-phone reusers
People who reuse a previously used handset rather than buy a new mobile phone.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Dec 2005
- 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
예전에 쓰던 단말기를 다시 꺼내 든 중고폰족의 사례를 봤다.
I saw an example of 중고폰족 bringing an old handset back into use.
02Documented history
- 2005-12This source introduced “중고폰족” and explained its meaning.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The National Institute of Korean Language’s 『2005년 신어』 lists this headword and its meaning. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The headword, components, definition, and usage on PDF page 91 (printed page 67) were directly compared. This relies on one source; the older articles quoted by the report were not directly checked. Inclusion in this collection does not establish the year the expression arose or first became popular.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 2005년 신어 (국립국어원)Published Dec 2005Original source checked Nov 14, 2026