[News Terms] Why the 'Jungggeokma' Craze?

'The Important Thing Is an Unbreakable Spirit,' Son Heung-min "A Great Influence on Players"
A Phenomenon Reflecting a Culture That Values Process Over Results

On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time), after the Group H third match between South Korea and Portugal at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Kwon Kyung-won (left) and Cho Gue-sung are holding the Taegeukgi flag.
[Image source=South Korea National Football Team Twitter]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyunjung] 'Jungkkokma (The important thing is an unyielding spirit)' is gaining attention. After the Korean national team won 2-1 against Portugal and advanced to the round of 16, a Taegeukgi flag with the phrase "The important thing is an unyielding spirit" was waved, which sparked the trend. This Taegeukgi was reportedly passed from the stands. Since then, the phrase has been called 'Jungkkokma' and widely spread as it was used by politicians and companies.

Son Heung-min, who showed mask fighting spirit during the World Cup, said at a press conference upon returning on the 7th, "Our players really ran with only possibilities in mind. They did their best and showed fighting spirit," adding, "'Jungkkokma (The important thing is an unyielding spirit)' is a really cool phrase. It had a great impact on the players." Player Cho Gyuseong also said, "Whether we were losing or winning, we didn't give up, and looking at that phrase ('The important thing is an unyielding spirit'), we were able to take one more step forward," emphasizing its meaning.

'Jungkkokma' originated from the '2022 League of Legends (LoL) World Championship.' This tournament is the largest and season-concluding global gaming event directly hosted by the game developer. Kukinews titled an interview article with Kim Hyukgyu (in-game name 'Deft'), captain of team DRX, as "It's okay to lose to Rogue, the important thing is an unyielding spirit." DRX, considered an underdog team, miraculously won the championship after the interview, and this article title spread as a meme symbolizing strong will that does not yield even in unfavorable circumstances.

Moon Daechang, the Kukinews reporter responsible for the article title, said in an interview with Weekly Dong-A, "I didn't expect the word 'Jungkkokma' to become such a hot topic," and added, "I was deeply impressed by Kim Hyukgyu's firm mindset of not being swayed by the results during the LoL World Championship, and I titled the interview video as if enchanted." He continued, "I think the message shown by the LoL World Championship and World Cup players, 'As long as your heart does not waver, you can see hope,' resonated with people."

The World Cup meme craze also existed 20 years ago. The phrase 'Dreams★Come True,' which appeared during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup semifinal against Germany, is still used by many people even after the World Cup ended. However, while that phrase emphasized results such as certain victory, 'Jungkkokma' places emphasis on the process. The 'Jungkkokma' craze embodies the spirit that an unyielding heart is precious regardless of win or loss. This is why 'Jungkkokma' continues to be mentioned even though the Korean national team failed to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.