ㅋㅋ — Explained with Examples & Applications

Key takeaways

ㅋㅋ belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect ㅋㅋ to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of ㅋㅋ from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

ㅋㅋ is a Korean Internet slang. It represents the sound of laughter using 'ㅋ', one of the consonants in the Korean Language. It is generally interpreted as a shortened form using only the initial consonant–of onomatopoeic sounds like "kiki," "keukeu," "keuk-keuk," or "kick-kick". and it can convey various meanings and nuances depending on the number of "ㅋ" characters used and the context. ㅋㅋ originated in Korean online communication as a consonant-only representation of laughter, generally associated with expressions such as 크크크. Its precise first use is unknown, but it is believed to have emerged in the early Korean online and PC-game chat culture. When people used the right hand for the mouse, people started to type 'ㅋㅋ' with the left hand. The Internet slang is widely used in SMS messages, blogs, comments, and emails.

Usage 'ㅋㅋ' is used when expressing laughter. Since digital communication cannot directly convey the visual act of laughing, onomatopoeic pronunciations are used, including 'kick-kick', 'keuk-keuk', 'keukeu', and 'ki-ki'. In this regard, a 2001 study interpreted this practice as a method used to add a sense of fun to communication by representing words using only consonants. The numbers of 'ㅋ' can differentiate the feeling and meaning. Lee Je-hyun, a cultural crictic who researches neologistic words, has categorised them as follows:

'ㅋ' - Normally, it is used when casually aggreeing or mocking. When attatched to the end of a word, it conveys a sense of slight amusement rather than actual laughter, such as '그래ㅋ' (Okayㅋ), '좋네ㅋ' (Goodㅋ), and '올ㅋ' (Niceㅋ). In the other hand, '뭐해?ㅋ' (What are you doingㅋ), '미안ㅋ' (Sorryㅋ) serves the function of clichéd, superfluous chatter. 'ㅋㅋ' - It has one more 'ㅋ' than the one above, yet it actually feels more formal. In a positive side, it can mean ‘I see.'. In a slightly bad side, In conversation, it gives the impression of conventionally inserting interjections. 'ㅋㅋ' has been ranked as the most disliked, insincere texting style among single men and women. According to a study, using ‘ㅋㅋ’ in public or formal situations, such as when speaking with a supervisor, may be perceived as unprofessional. ㅋㅋㅋ - Three 'ㅋ's are relatively neutral and the most used usage. It has the nuance that directly conveys the feeling of laughing. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ... - From this point onward, it conveys the impression of making a deliberate effort to express the reaction ‘that is really funny.’ Four or more instances have little difference in their implied meaning or emotional intensity. In this respect, ‘ㅋㅋㅋㅋ’ can be regarded as the minimum form that effectively conveys genuine amusement.

Cultural effect According to the '2007 Information Culture Analysis Report' published by the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion, a survey of 896 teenagers on the frequency of Internet slang usage found that 'ㅋㅋ' was the most frequently used expression. A survey conducted by Tillion Pro, a surveying platform operated by SM C&C, involved 4025 people aged 20 to 50. In the subject ‘How much do you use ㅋㅋ?’, 41% of respondents answered 'Usually', 35% 'Sometimes', 15% 'Rarely', and 9% 'Never'. In another subject, respondents replied their reasons for using the Internet slang as follows: 45% for friendliness, 38% for humour, 28% for awkwardness without using it and 17% for economy of language. The indie rock band Kiha & The Faces chose 'ㅋ’ as the title track for their fourth full-length album, Who Is an Expert at Love?. The lyrics are based on the experience of sending a carefully made text message only to receive a reply consisting of just the single character 'ㅋ', and the song includes a section that evokes the sound of 'ㅋㅋㅋㅋ...'. When Nestle officially launched KitKat in 2016, It has a catchphrase, which is '넌 나의 ㅋㅋ, 넌 나의 킷캣' (Your my ㅋㅋ, I am your KitKat). In the commercial, they pronounced 'ㅋㅋ' as '크크'. The expression 'kek' originated from the game StarCraft, whrere the players used 'kek' instead of 'ㅋㅋ'. World of Warcraft, further popularized the term.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with ㅋㅋ

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what ㅋㅋ claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to ㅋㅋ before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about ㅋㅋ ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of ㅋㅋ

In research: ㅋㅋ appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses ㅋㅋ in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: ㅋㅋ is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1990s in Internet culture, Internet slang, Laughter, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for ㅋㅋ outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study ㅋㅋ in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what ㅋㅋ means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain ㅋㅋ out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is ㅋㅋ in simple terms?

ㅋㅋ is a Korean Internet slang. It represents the sound of laughter using 'ㅋ', one of the consonants in the Korean Language.

Why does ㅋㅋ matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study ㅋㅋ?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on ㅋㅋ.

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