[Korean Culture & Language] Washing one's Identity

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In July 2021, a Chinese man in his 50s got arrested for killing two people in China and fleeing to Korea. It took years to catch him because he has ‘신분세탁(washed his identity)’.

Photo by Jeremy Sallee on Unsplash

https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/24104555#home

According to Korea JoongAng Daily, this murderer killed two people in Yantai, Shandong Province, China in 1987, when he was 20. While hiding in China, he made a new passport after ‘신분세탁(washing his identification)’. He entered Korea in 2016, and has obtained a permanent residency (F5) visa by marrying a Chinese woman who had obtained Korean citizenship a while back.

The term 신분세탁 (Washing one’s identity) refers to a person’s attempt to conceal their prior identity to rebuild a new life. Prostitutes and ex-convicts, for example, are likely to strive to 신분세탁 (rebuild their lives by concealing the fact that they have ever committed a crime or worked as a prostitute). 

Below video illustrates a 흙수저(Dust Spoon) trying to ‘신분세탁 (wash her identity)’ and pretend to be a 금수저(Gold Spoon). Do you recall from the last article that ‘gold spoons’ refer to people born into a wealthy family who are unconcerned with their financial well-being, while ‘dirt spoons’ are those who are inhibited from climbing up the social ladder due to their parents’ humble backgrounds?


(42) SUB 사이다) 다이아수저로 신분세탁하려던 학폭 흙수저의 최후 | [기괴숲] - #5 - YouTube

Do you know of someone who has tried washing their identity? 

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