Korean Netizens Weigh In On Super Junior D&E’s “Misogynistic Song Title”

Super Junior D&E recently teased fans with the tracklist for their upcoming album. The title of one of their songs, “Jijibae (GGB)” attracted attention due to its controversial meaning.

The word “Jijibae” in Korean contains negative connotations, derogatory to women. Although some international fans have tried to defend it, Korean fans have weighed in. They explained the history behind the word and why it was unpleasant for Super Junior D&E to title the song as such.

The title of the song is a phrase used to when calling a woman, but it is a derogatory one. It is not completely a curse word, and there are instances where it it used amongst girls themselves or mother-daughters in a joking way, but it is similar as to when some words can be used jokingly amongst the same race, but is considered racist for others to use. [Jijibae (GGB)] is a word that modern women are averse to, and it is especially unpleasant when it is used by a man. 10 to 15 years ago, it was more commonly used with the meaning of “bad woman,” and I think that maybe D&E also used it with such intention, but that is an outdated and old way of thinking for sure.

— @hyuk_right/Twitter

Korean netizens similarly are not in approval. They have called the title tacky and outdated.

• F*cking…tacky.
• I hate it FR. Even if their “Jijibae” isn’t that “Jijibae,” the title is just so tacky.
• Feels very 2010 LOL.
• Really outdated.
• Outdated.
• Everything else aside, this is so tacky… It’s not a word you can be using as a song title in 2024…
• Ugh…
• GGB is funnier. Wonder who’s idea it was… What if it turns out to be an abbreviation or something LOL.
• Ugh.

Others have compared it to Sunmi’s “Gashina.” The word “gashina” also hosts similar usage to “Jijibae” in South Korea, being used to refer to a woman or girl in a derogatory way. The difference comes in that Sunmi is a woman herself, and the lyrics make no reference to women. “Gashina” was also a wordplay on the formal term for “leaving.”

• It is tacky for sure.
• ”Gashina” was cursed out in the beginning too.
• Smells so bad LOL.
• Why are the comments all so rude LOL. They’re not my biases, but the way people are talking them down makes my mood sour.
• “Gashina” was okay so what about “Jijibae?”
• ”Gashina” and “Jijibae” are not curse words, but it is right to say that they are derogatory terms. You only can use it if you are also a close girl friend or a family member. It’s also true that it’s tacky.
• It’s not to the point of a controversy, but rather a matter between the singer and fans.
• It’s also funny how they wrote “Jijibae” as “Jijibae (GGB)” LOOOOL. SM is so consistent.

You can read more about the initial allegations below.

Super Junior D&E’s New Song Title Under Controversy For Misogynistic Connotations