Korean slang profile

루비족

rubijok

Middle-aged women who cultivate their lives and appearance and seek to live youthfully and energetically.

Expanded form: Refresh + Uncommon + Beautiful + YouthfulRefresh + Uncommon + Beautiful + Youthful
Other spellings: —
Earliest source found: Aug 16, 2011
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
루비족의 문화생활을 다룬 인터뷰를 읽었어.
I read an interview about the cultural activities of 루비족.

02Documented history

August 16, 2011Hyundai Research Institute’s “Chairperson Note” introduced an explanation of 루비족.[2]
December 19, 2011The appendix to the National Institute of Korean Language’s “요긴하게 쓸 만한 다듬은 말 61개” included the expression and its definition.[1]

03Origin & word formation

The appendix to the National Institute of Korean Language’s “요긴하게 쓸 만한 다듬은 말 61개” lists this expression as a term selected for replacement with clearer Korean and directly explains its meaning. The components or full expression checked in the source are “Refresh + Uncommon + Beautiful + Youthful”. Who first used it and when have not been verified.

Evidence for the origin explanationMedium

The spelling and explanation were directly checked in a National Institute of Korean Language collection and a Hyundai Research Institute publication. Both give an age range of 45–55; the original creator has not been identified.

04Sources

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

요긴하게 쓸 만한 다듬은 말 61개 — PDF 105쪽 (국립국어원)Published Dec 19, 2011Original source checked Nov 14, 2026
Chairperson Note 2011-31 통권361호 — 新인류의 등장 (현대경제연구원)Published Aug 16, 2011Original source checked Nov 14, 2026