Korean slang profile
남주
namju
Short for a male protagonist in a film, drama, novel, or similar work.
Short for a male protagonist in a film, drama, novel, or similar work.
- Expanded form
- 남자 주인공남자 주인공 (male protagonist)
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- May 23, 2023
- 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
이 드라마의 남주를 맡은 배우가 누구인지 찾아봤다.
I looked up which actor played the male lead in this drama.
02Documented history
- 2023-05-23The 동아닷컴 source used the expression ‘남주’.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The source explains it as ‘남자 주인공’ (male protagonist). Who first used it and when could not be established.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The explanation and usage were compared directly with the evidence. Who first coined it and when it was first used could not be established.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 신예 김진우, 웹드 '로맨스 바이 로맨스' 남주 캐스팅 [공식] (동아닷컴)Published May 23, 2023Original source checked Nov 13, 2026