Korean slang profile
상상코로나
sangsangkorona
Worrying that one might have COVID-19 even after a mild sneeze or cough.
Worrying that one might have COVID-19 even after a mild sneeze or cough.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Oct 15, 2020
- 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
기침 한 번에 상상코로나가 시작됐지만 추측부터 하지는 않기로 했다.
One cough set off my COVID worries, but I decided not to jump to conclusions.
02Documented history
- October 2020전북일보 introduced it as a neologism reflecting everyday anxiety about COVID-19.[1]
03Origin & word formation
전북일보 explains it as worrying about COVID-19 after even a sneeze or slight cough. It does not indicate actual infection or a medical diagnosis. The first user and time could not be established.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The explanation in the body of the source was checked, but the first user could not be identified.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- [NIE] ‘코로나 신조어’를 통해 본 2020 대한민국 (전북일보)Published Oct 15, 2020Original source checked Nov 13, 2026