Korean slang profile

넵병

nepbyeong

The automatic “yes” habit

A humorous description of office workers mechanically replying 넵 to their boss's messages all day.

This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
하루 종일 넵만 하다 보니 넵병이 온 것 같아.
I've spent all day saying “yes” so automatically that I think it's becoming a habit.
Quoted from a source
'넵병'은 메신저로 업무 지시를 하는 상사의 말에 '넵'이라고 대답하는 것을 뜻합니다.[2]
'넵병' means answering 'yes' to your boss giving work instructions via messenger.
English translation by Julimmal.

November 2017Donga.com: “Recently, a new word called ‘넵병’ has appeared, saying that office workers cannot always answer ‘yes’ to their boss’s instructions and that ‘yes’ has a somewhat playful feel, so they respond with ‘yes’.”[1]
December 2017'넵병' means answering 'yes' to your boss giving work instructions via messenger.[2]

Where the expression originated has not been verified. The 2017 source from SBS only explains the meaning.

Evidence for the origin explanationLow

The meaning is supported, but the sources do not explain how the expression was formed.

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