Korean slang profile
삼포세대
sampo sedae
The generation giving up three things
A label for a generation described as giving up on dating, marriage, and having children.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Sep 16, 2011
- Documented trend period
- 2011~
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
삼포세대라는 말이 한창 많이 쓰였어.
People used the term “the generation giving up three things” a lot for a while.
- Quoted from a source
‘삼포세대’는 경제적인 이유로 연애, 결혼, 출산 3가지를 포기한 청년층을 뜻한다.[1]
‘삼포세대’ refers to the young people who have given up on dating, marriage, and childbirth for economic reasons.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- September 2011Aju Economic Daily introduced ‘삼포세대’ as a new college term reflecting the employment difficulties and explained its meaning as referring to the young people who have given up on dating, marriage, and childbirth for economic reasons. It is said to be a new word introduced by a part-time job site.[1]
- March 2015Yonhap News reported that the National Institute of the Korean Language announced the new words in 2014 and wrote down the ‘Sampo Generation’ as the ‘New Words of 2011’ and added human relationships and home purchases to create the ‘Opo Generation’.[2]
03Origin & word formation
Refers to a generation giving up dating, marriage, and having children. A 2011 Aju Business Daily article explicitly explains it, and National Institute of Korean Language material classifies it as a 2011 new word. Who first used it has not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationHigh
Both a news article and government agency material explain the term. Who first used it is unknown.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 취업난 신조어, 씁쓸한 웃음만 나오는 ‘삼포세대’ ‘등골탑’ 무슨 뜻? (아주경제)Published Sep 16, 2011Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- '금사빠녀' '꼬돌남' '인생짤'…사회현상 반영한 새 낱말들 (연합뉴스)Published Mar 25, 2015Original source checked Nov 5, 2026