Korean slang profile
월급고개
wolgeupgogae
The tight stretch before payday
A financially tight stretch when the previous month’s pay is almost gone but the next payday has not arrived.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Dec 2005
- 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
월급고개라 이번 주에는 집에서 도시락을 싸 가려고 한다.
It’s 월급고개, so I’m planning to bring packed lunches this week.
02Documented history
- 2005-12This source introduced “월급고개” and explained its meaning.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The National Institute of Korean Language’s 『2005년 신어』 lists this headword and its meaning. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The headword, components, definition, and usage on PDF page 75 (printed page 51) were directly compared. This relies on one source; the older articles quoted by the report were not directly checked. Inclusion in this collection does not establish the year the expression arose or first became popular.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 2005년 신어 (국립국어원)Published Dec 2005Original source checked Nov 14, 2026