Korean words added to OED

Fahad Redha

January 9, 2026
3 min read

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has added eight Korean words, including social titles and dishes. This further cements “the global influence of Korean culture and language,” according to the Korea Times.

The Korean words added, according to Jieun Kiaer, University of Oxford professor and consultant on the Korean language, are “ramyeon,” a type of dried noodles and seasoning, “haenyeo,” female free-divers that harvest seafood, “sunbae” a member of a group that is senior due to age or experience, “bingsu,” shaved ice with sweet toppings, “jjimjilbang,” a type of bathhouse, “ajumma,” a middle aged woman, Korean barbecue, and “officetel,” a building that combines commercial and residential units.

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This is the second consecutive year that Korean words were added to the OED. Last year saw seven words added, including “dalgona,” a type of confectionary, and “tteokbokki,” rice cakes served with a spicy sauce.

Since the early 2000s, more vocabulary from Korea has been incorporated into the OED. 2021 alone saw 26 Korean words added.

“I pushed to add ‘haenyeo’ a few years ago, but it was not successful due to a lack of research materials and information available in English,” Kiaer said. “This year, however, it became easier thanks to increased awareness of the word following a recent drama series, which prompted more discussion of the term in the English-speaking world.”

The inclusion of these words, the Korean Times says, “reflects growing global interest in Korean culture.”

“Once a word enters the Oxford English Dictionary, it is not removed, even if it becomes outdated. That’s what makes this effort so meaningful,” Kiaer said. “The Korean language is leaving a lasting imprint on English and it will remain there.”

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