The seventy-sixth set of K-pop Deep-dive Dictionary continues to introduce the words and expressions that one must know before the fansign event.

영통팬싸 [yeongtongpaenssa]
 Abbreviation of video call fansigning event

Yeong Tongpaenssa is an abbreviation for ‘영상통화 팬사인회’ ([yeongsangtonghwa paensainhoe] video call fan signing event), which means holding a 1:1 fan signing event through a video call with a favorite K-pop artist. Usually, K-pop artists hold a face-to-face fan signing event after releasing a new album, and this is kind of an online fan signing event to replace the face-to-face fan signing event which became difficult to hold after the COVID19 pandemic. In the early stages of the COVID19 pandemic, the word ‘raenseon’ meaning ‘to be connected online,’ which is the combination of the English word ‘LAN’ pronounced in Korean way and ‘seon,’ meaning ‘Cable’ in English, was popular, but recently, Yeong Tongpaenssa has been more frequently used among K-pop fans than the ‘raenseonpaenssa.’

Ex)

A) Wow! I won the Yeong Tongpaenssa of AB6IX!

B) Congratulations! I’m so jealous! You finally escaped deokgyemot!

맞캠 [Matkaem]
The act of filming each other with a camera

Matkaem is a combination of the prefix ‘mat,’ which means ‘to face each other,’ and ‘kaem,’ the abbreviation of a Korean pronunciation of English ‘Camera,’ which means two people filming each other with a camera. K-pop fans usually want to take a video of themselves getting autographs from their favorite artists when they go to fan signing events, so they promise the matkaem with other fans and help each other to get filmed of them getting autographs from artists on their turn.

Ex)

A: I’m the only one who won the fansign event of Stray Kids among the friend's group. There’s nothing I can do. I’ll look for a STAY whom I can ask for the matkaem.

멤카 [Memka]
Abbreviation of memory card

Memka is an abbreviation for ‘memori kadeu,’ a Korean pronunciation of ‘Memory Card’ in English, and is a data storage device used for filming with cameras. K-pop fans often rent cameras for filming before going to fan signing events and prepare their own memka separately to ease the inconvenience of transferring the photo data to other storage devices after returning the camera. In addition, to prepare for the situation when filming is not possible due to capacity problems in the field, they empty the storage capacity of the memka in advance or bring two memkas.

Ex)

A: You’re going to the fansign event of TREASURE this weekend, right? Did you prepare the memka?

B: Of course~ I’ve even already finished organizing the data of memka~!

팬싸템 [Paenssatem]
An object brought to the fansign event for the artist

Paenssatem is an abbreviation for ‘paensainhoe’ and ‘aitem,’ the Korean pronunciation of the English ‘item,’ and it means an item taken to a fan signing event. However, this doesn’t mean such items as a blanket or camera for their own use but means an item for the artists, and fans ask the artist to use the paenssatem while getting an autograph at the fan signing site. Typical paenssatem includes headbands, flower crowns, glasses, and toys.

Ex)

A: What are you going to bring as the paenssatem for Park Jihoon this time?

B: I'll bring the hospital gown and stethoscope! I want to see Jihoon acting as a doctor!

고정캠 [Gojeongkaem]
Camera that only films one person

Gojeongkaem is a combination of ‘gojeong,’ which means ‘to stick to one place,’ and ‘kaem,’ the abbreviation of the camera in the Korean pronunciation of English ‘Camera,’ meaning that the camera is fixed in one angle without changing its movement. Since K-pop artists are usually composed as a group of many members, people use gojeongkaem when they want to leave as many videos as possible of their favorite artist, meaning their bias(most favorite member), when they go to a fan signing event.

Ex)

A: Did you see the gojeongkaem of (G)I-DLE Shuhua’s fansign event uploaded on YouTube?

B: Yes! She was so cute this time~



※ K-pop Culture Lab at Hanteo Global aims to set the standard of K-pop and make the K-pop experience more accessible and enjoyable to all K-pop fans worldwide. As part of the initiative, we started the ‘K-pop Deep-dive Dictionary’ series that introduces new fans to the terms and expressions that only true K-pop fans know and use. We hope that this series will help international K-pop fans and the public to better understand the unique culture of Korean K-pop fans and use the words to communicate with them.