[New Word Dictionary] Godap-i - Need Some Cider

Godap-i is a newly coined term derived from "goguma dapdap-i," referring to a person who behaves in a frustratingly narrow-minded way, likened to the feeling of choking when eating sweet potatoes. Illustration by artist Oh Seong-su

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Amid the majority of universities conducting remote classes due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a controversy arose over an instructor who replaced lessons with videos found on YouTube. On the 28th of last month, a critical post about the liberal arts Japanese course at the College of Global Humanities of University A was uploaded on an online community. From the 6th to the 26th of last month, the class content consisted of videos from other instructors already uploaded on YouTube, such as "1000 Basic Japanese Words" and "200 Basic Japanese Conversations to Listen to While Sleeping." When one of the students raised concerns about the inconsistent use of others' videos, the instructor responded with a threatening comment, saying, "Students don’t have to listen on YouTube; just take another professor’s class," and "Since the student is too good at Japanese, there’s no need to attend the YouTube class or take the exam, so just take another professor’s class next semester and please do not attend from today." Furthermore, the instructor showed a coercive attitude, stating, "Students don’t have to listen on YouTube; just take another professor’s class. Ninety-nine percent of students have been following well so far, so don’t cause confusion by posting personal opinions in the comments," and "I will remember this, so take the class again next semester." As students who initially demanded proper classes were met with frustrating and absurd responses from the instructor, petitions asking the school to provide explanations and take appropriate measures flooded in.

"Godapi" is a term derived from "goguma dapdapi," meaning a person who behaves frustratingly as if their mind is completely blocked, likened to the choking sensation when eating sweet potatoes. Initially describing a frustrating reaction like eating sweet potatoes, the story of the instructor who gradually maintained a brazen attitude spread rapidly across online communities. As the issue escalated, University A issued a statement expressing a very serious sense of responsibility for the instructor’s improper response. The instructor also posted an apology, saying, "I sincerely bow my head a hundredfold and a thousandfold and ask for forgiveness and understanding," and "I deeply regret the unfortunate incident caused by failing to restrain and exposing personal emotions in public matters, and I promise that such an incident will never happen again." This brought the matter to a temporary close. However, the "Godapi" instructor, who had consistently maintained a high-handed attitude without admitting fault, raised doubts about the sincerity of the apology and their qualifications by using expressions like "causing controversy" and "I will undergo a complete transformation" in the middle of the apology. It was nothing but a typical Godapi attitude until the very end.

Usage Example

A: Hey, have you watched The World of the Married? I’m binge-watching it again these days, but my son and Minhyunseo are so frustrating.
B: They’re total godapis. But don’t worry, Jiseonwoo will fix everything anyway.
A: There are plenty of godapis in real life too. Cancer-causing people are everywhere.
B: Before cursing godapis, you should think about whether you’re a godapi yourself. Especially when you ask for dating advice!
A: Hehe, really? I should reflect on myself a bit too. LOL