Korean slang profile
낙지부동
nakjibudong
Clinging to one’s desk to keep a job
A metaphor for working while clinging to one’s desk like an octopus to survive in the workplace.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Nov 6, 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
보고서 마감을 앞두고 낙지부동으로 자리를 지켰다.
With the report deadline approaching, I stayed at my desk in 낙지부동 mode.
02Documented history
No history documented.
03Origin & word formation
서울신문 in 1998 introduces the explanation of working while clinging to one’s desk like an octopus. The first user and time have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The definition and context were checked in one 1998 article. First use and the extent of spread remain unverified.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 달라진 사회상(IMF체제 1년:2) (서울신문)Published Nov 6, 1998Original source checked Nov 15, 2026