[Korean Culture & Language] Saving One's Face

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As 사내맞선(Business Proposal) has become one of the most popular television series in Korea with a user rating of 91, a number of YouTube videos feature memorable scenes from the drama.

The video below is titled ‘[요약] 재벌 남자친구가 플렉스 하면 생기는 일💸 한도 없는 카드와 사랑으로 김세정 기 팍팍 세워주는 안효섭’. 

’요약’ means ’Summary’

’재벌’ means ’Chaebol (a large industrial conglomerate in South Korea that is operated and controlled by a single individual or family)’

’남자친구’ means ’boyfriend’

’플렉스’ means to ‘spend an excessive amount of money on luxury items (and show off)’ or ‘to go on a spree’

‘생기는 일’ means ‘what happens’

‘한도’ means ‘limit’

‘없는’ means ‘don’t have’

‘카드’ means ‘card’

‘사랑’ means ‘love’

‘기’ means ‘energy’

‘세워주는’ means ‘to lift up’

‘기’ literally means ‘energy,’ and ‘살리다’ means ‘bring something/someone to life’. ‘기를 살리다’ is directly translated as ‘to bring someone’s energy to life’. It means ‘to save someone’s face’.

It is also known as ‘체면을 살리다 (Saving one’s face)’.

So, the title reads ‘(Summary) What happens when a Chaebol boyfriend spends without restraint 💸 Ahn Hyo-Seop saves Kim Se-Jeong’s face and impresses her friends with his unlimited credit lines and unconditional love’. 

In the video, Hyo-Seop shows up when Se-Jeong’s friends were suspecting her of lying about having a boyfriend. Hyo-Seop ‘save her face’ by buying her friends expensive dinner and upgrading their accommodations to suites.

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