Common terms in K-pop fandom

Terms about activity and schedules

The whole stretch of releasing an album and appearing on shows is called a promotion period, and its end is the close of promotions. Releasing a new album is called a comeback, which does not imply a return from a break so much as taking the stage again with new material. A short follow-up promotion with another song after the main period sometimes has its own name too.

• Comeback: starting activity again with a new release
• Pre-release: a song published before the album
• Title track: the song the promotions centre on
• B-side: the remaining songs on the album

Terms about stages and video

Appearing on a music show is often shortened in Korean, and a video shot focusing on one performer throughout is called a fancam. A separately filmed video showing the full choreography is called a dance practice or performance video. Official channels often post the same music show stage filmed from several angles as well.

Terms about inclusions and collecting

The photo cards inserted at random inside albums are called photocards, often shortened further. Gifts given only by a particular retailer are called bonuses or benefits. Swapping a card with someone else is a trade, and since condition grading varies by person, confirming with photographs is safer. The types and number of photocards differ by album, so use the official contents list as your reference when collecting.

Terms for the fandom itself

Groups generally have an official fandom name, and often an official lightstick and colour as well. Chants performed together by the audience at set points in a song are called fanchants; the content differs by group and is usually announced through official accounts. Fan chants are usually taught in an official video around the comeback, so practising once before a show makes it far more fun on the day.

The vocabulary keeps changing

Fandom vocabulary appears and disappears quickly with trends. The same abbreviation can carry different meanings across groups or regions, so asking about an unfamiliar term causes fewer misunderstandings than guessing. Saying you do not know is generally received better than using a term incorrectly.

Terms about rankings and sales

Fandoms also use many terms related to performance. Sales in the first week after an album's release are called first-week sales and are often cited as a gauge of a group's size. Topping a music show is commonly described as taking the trophy, and wins with the same song across several shows are sometimes counted up. Real-time and daily rankings on music streaming sites are called charts, and both whether a song entered the chart and how long it stays are discussed.

• First-week sales: album sales in the release week
• Win: first place on a music show
• Charting: entering the music rankings
• Streaming: replaying songs to show support

Care when using the jargon

Mixed in with fandom terms are words used to belittle certain groups of people or put down other acts. Copying a word whose meaning you do not fully know can offend someone unintentionally, so check the meaning and the context it is used in before using a new term. Using lots of in-fandom language in public spaces also makes posts hard for outsiders to follow. It is considerate to switch to plain words depending on who is listening.

Talking with fans abroad

K-POP fandoms span many countries, so the same concept often goes by different words in different languages. English-speaking fans sometimes transliterate Korean words directly, such as comeback-related terms or the word for the youngest member, while Japanese-speaking fans have settled on their own expressions in some cases. When talking with overseas fans, checking the expressions they use and matching them reduces misunderstandings. Running abbreviations through a translator easily produces strange meanings, so writing out the full expression is safer.

• The same concept has different names in each language
• Check and match the expressions the other person uses
• Spell out abbreviations before running them through a translator
• If unsure, asking what it means is fastest