[Korean Culture & Language] When I was a latte


 Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!


If you are living in Korea and like coffee, you might have been to Tom N Toms Coffee, which is one of the biggest coffeehouse chains in Korea. When 꼰대라떼 first came out in 2020, it became extremely popular, especially because of its funny name. 

What does “꼰대(kkondae)” mean? And what does “라떼(latte)” have anything to do with it? No one knows exactly how the word 꼰대 was created, but it’s known to have gotten its name from the English word “condescending”. ‘꼰대’ refers to a ’condescending old person’. They like to say “나 때는 말이야… (When I was your age…)”. Here, “나 때” sounds like “라떼”. So, many people started saying “라떼는 말이야(When I was a latte),” which doesn’t originally make any sense but sounds funny. Below is an image of Tom N Toms advertising that reads, “Tom N Toms Kkondae Latte… When I was a Latte-“.

(제공=탐앤탐스)

https://www.shinailbo.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1330630

 

This latte was developed in collaboration with the K-drama(office comedy), ‘Kkondae Intern’ that also came out in 2020. 

 

While the drama reflects Korea’s rigid hierarchy at work, the requirement for obedience and devotion, and long working hours, it also depicts a 꼰대 perfectly. 



A manager of a marketing team at a company, Lee Man-sik, was notorious for being a 꼰대. He bullied his office workers, especially an intern named Ka Yeol-chan. Ka Yeol-chan had to leave his job because of Man-sik’s severe bullying. Fortunately, Yeol-chan got accepted at a ramen company and developed popular ramen that got him elevated to the position of general manager. In the meanwhile, Man-sik loses his job. His friend recommends that he applies for a senior intern at a company, and it happens to be the same company where Yeo-chan works as a manager. Even though Yeol-chan was a good manager to everyone, he takes his revenge on Man-sik. He becomes a young 꼰대. 



The above image reads, “A gentle manager who becomes a 꼰대. Yeol-chan’s story… I have always thought I shouldn’t be a 꼰대… He has always been the best manager who sincerely cares about his workers and keeps a horizontal work culture. However, when Man-sik showed up, he totally changed… Did you know that a younger 꼰대 can be crazier than an old 꼰대?”


I don’t usually suggest TV shows or dramas, but I strongly suggest this drama since it reflects Korean work culture so well. It’s funny how anyone can be a 꼰대 regardless of their age. It’s not hard to spot a “젊은 꼰대(Young 꼰대)” these days. Are you a 꼰대? Check out my next article to find out if you are.

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