RESCENE member Woni found herself at the center of an online language debate after using the dialect expression Gyeongsang “museopno” (무섭노, “It’s scary”) in a YouTube video.
The controversy has reignited long-standing discussions in South Korea over whether some expressions end with “-ninth)” it should be seen as a legitimate regional dialect or as a language associated with Ilbe (Ilgan Best), a controversial online community known for its use of offensive and politically charged slang.
The discussion arises from a recent video uploaded to Woni’s YouTube channel, “Hi, I’m Woni. Nice to meet you.”
During the episode, Woni visited RESCENE member Minami’s family home in Japan. During filming, a producer remarked, “Museopno” (“How scary.”) Woni responded in the same dialect: “Museopno. Even the lighting is scary.” The exchange quickly spread online after Kim Hyun-ji, producer of MBC Gyeongnam and director of the documentary Adult Kim Jang-hacriticized the wording on social media.
In a post published on July 1, Kim Hyun-ji wrote as much she was saddened to hear the producer and the idol casually exchanging expressions ending in “-no.” He argued that the phrase was not grammatically consistent with the Gyeongsang dialect and instead reflected a style of expression popularized by Ilbe.
After receiving criticism from RESCENE fans, Kim Hyun-ji clarified this he was not accusing Woni or others of intentionally promoting Ilbe’s ideology. Instead, he explained that many linguists specializing in the Gyeongsang dialect have repeatedly pointed out what they consider to be grammatically incorrect uses of “-no,” but younger speakers continue to adopt the expression naturally.
Kim Hyun-ji added this the issue was not to label every user as an Ilbe supporter or control regional dialect, but rather to encourage people to consider whether they wish to continue using expressions if they discover that such expressions may have been associated with hate speech.
Many Internet users have pushed back against Kim Hyun-ji’s criticism, arguing that native Gyeongsang speakers should not be discouraged from using their dialect because of how some online communities have appropriated it. The debate also revived previous academic discussions on the topic.
In a 2019 television interview, Professor Ahn Tae-hyung of Dong-A University explained that while “-no” commonly appears in interrogative forms in the Southeastern dialect, it can also function in monologues, exclamations, or expressions of complaint, meaning that phrases like “Museopno” are not necessarily grammatically incorrect.
Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk also joined the discussion on July 5 by posting a graph on social media comparing the use of “-NO” among Busan speakers, Seoul speakers and Ilbe users. According to Cho, his observation is that Ilbe users often mechanically attach “-no” to standard Korean sentences, rather than following the grammatical patterns of the Gyeongsang dialect. He further explained that in the traditional Yeongnam dialect:
- “-na (나)” is generally used in yes or no questions.
- “-no (노)” is generally used when asking for explanations or additional information.
The controversy has since evolved into a broader discussion about language, regional identity and social responsibility. One side argues that regional dialects should not be stigmatized because extremist groups have appropriated certain expressions. Others argue that public figures and media personalities should remain aware of the social context surrounding language that some audiences may associate with discriminatory or hateful communities.
At this time, Woni and his agency have not publicly commented on the controversy, and the debate continues on Korean social media platforms.
Sources: Nate News
