Korean slang profile

뚜벅이

ttubeogi

Getting around without a car

A colloquial term for someone who walks or uses public transportation because they do not drive or own a car.

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

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
뚜벅이 여행이라 지하철 노선을 꼼꼼히 봤어.
Since I'm traveling without a car, I studied the subway routes carefully.
Quoted from a source
뚜벅뚜벅 걸어다니는 사람을 뜻하는 말인데, 운전을 못 하거나 자가용 승용차가 없어 걷기만 하는 이들 또는 버스·지하철 등 대중교통에 의존하는 이들을 일컫는 일종의 은어가 되었다.[2]
It refers to a person who walks briskly, and it has become a kind of slang for those who cannot drive or do not have a private car, so they only walk, or those who rely on public transportation such as buses and subways.
English translation by Julimmal.

June 2014Kyunghyang Shinmun: “With the increase in ‘뚜벅이 office workers commuting to work by public transportation, 역세권 officetel, which can be accessed on foot from the subway station, is attracting attention.”[1]
November 2024It refers to a person who walks briskly, and it has become a kind of slang for those who cannot drive or do not have a private car, so they only walk, or those who rely on public transportation such as buses and subways.[2]

Where the expression originated has not been verified. The 2024 source from Segye Ilbo 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.