[New Word Dictionary] To the Moon - "Cryptocurrency, Please Surge"

To the moon is a term created amid the cryptocurrency investment craze, used to wish for a surge in value by likening the daily candlestick chart of a rapidly rising cryptocurrency overseas to a rocket soaring toward the moon. Tesla's CEO Elon Musk also popularized the phrase by mentioning a cryptocurrency on Twitter and posting "To the moon." Illustration by artist Oh Seong-su

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] American composer Bart Howard was once commissioned by a publisher to create an "easy-to-listen-to waltz." Thinking it would be simple, he composed the piece in just 20 minutes while sitting down. He even wrote the lyrics on the spot and titled it "In Other Words." After listening to the finished song, the publisher liked everything but requested changing the chorus lyric from "Fly me to the Moon" to "Take me to the moon," feeling that the expression of flying to the moon was awkward and preferring a more direct phrase of taking me to the moon. However, Howard flatly refused. Eventually, the song was first recorded in 1954 by jazz singer Kay Ballard on Decca Records. Ten years later, during the peak of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, after President John F. Kennedy announced the Apollo program, Frank Sinatra’s rendition of the song became a massive hit. Perhaps predicting the moon exploration plan, the song titled "Fly me to the Moon" was famously played by astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin aboard the spacecraft during lunar orbit and moon surface liftoff on Apollo 10 and Apollo 11 missions, which sparked public interest.

"To the moon" is a phrase that emerged from the cryptocurrency investment craze, used to wish for a surge, likening the skyrocketing daily price charts of cryptocurrencies overseas to a rocket heading to the moon. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also popularized the phrase by tweeting about a cryptocurrency with the words "to the moon." "Fly me to the Moon" is frequently mentioned as a representative jazz song beloved by Koreans for its sweet lyrics and melody about love and romance related to space travel. It is also well known among the domestic 20s and 30s generation as the ending theme of the Japanese anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion." Thanks to the success of the Apollo program, humans eventually set foot on the moon, and the song has been widely loved for over half a century. However, cryptocurrency investors who once shouted "to the moon" are now caught in chaos amid a volatile market and sharp price drops. Experts advise, "The cryptocurrency market has grown into an investment market that cannot be ignored, but due to increased price volatility, investors should carefully select based on future value and invest prudently."

Example

A: Didn’t you say you bought Dogecoin last time?
B: Yeah. Shiba Inu dogs are cute. I tried buying some with 10,000 won as a test.
A: Elon Musk tweeted about Dogecoin recently, and it was crazy.
B: Right? To the moon! I hope it skyrockets to the moon so I can make 1 million won from 10,000 won.
A: Stop it. You’ll end up pouring all the money you made and crying someday.