Korean slang profile

언택트

untact

Without face-to-face contact

A term referring to interactions or activities that take place without meeting or making contact in person.

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

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
요즘은 언택트로 주문하고 문 앞에서 받아.
These days, I order without meeting anyone and pick it up at my door.
Quoted from a source
‘contact(접촉)’ 앞에 부정을 뜻하는 ‘un’을 넣어 만든 ‘언택트’는 ‘비대면’으로 바꿔 부르는데 ‘콩글리시’에 가깝지만 원어민들도 고개를 끄덕일 정도로 범용성을 인정받고 있다고 한다.[2]
‘언택트’, which is made by putting ‘un’, which means negation, in front of ‘contact’, is called ‘non-face-to-face’ and although it is closer to ‘Konglish’, it is said to be recognized for its versatility to the extent that even native speakers nod their heads.
English translation by Julimmal.

April 2020Newsis: “The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of the Korean Language selected ‘non-face-to-face’ as a replacement for ‘언택트’ at the Saemaul meeting held from the 6th to the 8th.”[1]
October 2020‘언택트’, which is made by putting ‘un’, which means negation, in front of ‘contact’, is called ‘non-face-to-face’ and although it is closer to ‘Konglish’, it is said to be recognized for its versatility to the extent that even native speakers nod their heads.[2]

Formed from “un + contact.” The 2020 source from Jeonbuk Ilbo explicitly gives this explanation. Who first used it and when have not been verified.

Evidence for the origin explanationMedium

One source explicitly explains the term. When it was first used is unknown.

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