Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ekaia · Joined: 31 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul

OK, I don't care if people will start hating me after this thread but here goes:

I can't take it anymore! All these Korean men's obsession with being called "Oppa" by younger girls. They all love it! Can't get enough of it. I thought it just meant "older brother" and initially found it to be quite ok for Korean girls to call older friend guys "oppa" but now I know why they love it so much:

To them it's like being called DADDY!
Prove me wrong!

My Korean friends (male) even call themselves OPPA. I repeat, when on the phone with their girls they go like "Oppa will take care of it" "oppa doesn't think so" "oppa this, oppa that" "shrug"

They think it's just so darn cute when a young girl goes "aaa oppaaaaa". Like some kind of male ego rash is being scratched the right way.

Ask any Korean dude whether he loves being called oppa accompanied by egjo. The answer is YES. Now ask him why he enjoys it so much. The answer is" it's the closest thing they get to our DADDY.

OH YEAH OPPA DADDY's gonna take care of you. "More SHRUG"

doggyji · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:39 am Post subject:

The oppaship is deep and profound. Cool

Ruraljuror · Joined: 08 Dec 2007

I can't imagine what it must be like to be you. You must be just so exhausted all the time! Every day you get so excited about something new! Just relax a little please. Everything is going to be ok. The fact that some Korean men refer to themselves as "Oppa" is not quite a "Soylent Green Is PEOPLE!" level revelation.

EuroFunk · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: jobless in Busan

I personally don't like it when I'm called oppa. I have a name ya knows.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

From what I've heard, it's a good way to get a guy to buy you dinner/movie/drinks/etc.

i4NI · Joined: 17 May 2008 Location: Seoul

I like being called oppa Cool

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

This is the common form of address for a younger girl to an older male. My students do it all the time when an elementary girl is addressing a middle school boy. It was described to me as 'elder brother.' Older women and men use the term ironically, even though it's still appropriate.

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

I enjoy watching grown Koreans of both sexes behave like children. I get a big "me so superior" kick out of it.

caniff · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map

How many oppas does it take to keep a Korean Princess happy?

Starla · Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Location: Seoul

Korean guys have asked me to call them oppa. Noooooooo. Maybe in Korean it may sound more innocent but it's going to take a lot for me to call some guy my daddy.

GreenlightmeansGO · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Location: Daegu

Just to clarify, it means 'older brother', and is said, typically, between a younger female and an older male.

Father is 'appa'.

I think it's basically the culture of lame guys trying to get laid...acting the part of the good friend until the girl sees the light and realises her oppa is wonderful.

It does rub me the wrong way. Reminds me of university. Lame-o, dude.

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

The word doesn't bother me so much as the high-pitched, whiny way it's said sometimes. Still, I don't see why it bothers the OP enough to make a thread about it. To each is own though...

tomato · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject:

Among my students, I hear girls calling boys 오빠,
but I also hear boys calling girls 누나.
What's the difference?

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC