"How Did Koreans Know?"... British Fans Stunned by Korean Use of 'Leeds Days' Slang

Originated from English football club Leeds United

Introduced as a Korean slang term in international fan communities

The Korean slang term 'Leeds Sijeol', which refers to a person's bygone prime, originated as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the English professional football club Leeds United. Recently, this Korean phrase has gained attention and surprise among British football fans as well.

Alan Smith (right) and Cristiano Ronaldo during their time at Manchester United. Photo by AFP News Agency

On February 26 (local time), the British away game fans' community 'Away Fans' introduced this phenomenon on its official X account, stating, "Here's a strange fact: Korea has a slang term called 'Leeds Days'." The post explained, "Millions of Koreans use this term, and even those who don't know Leeds United, which the phrase originated from, still understand its meaning."

The post went on to clarify, "Leeds Days refers to someone's prime that has already passed," and added, "The term was inspired by Alan Smith, who was once a promising footballer for both the England national team and Leeds United."

It further noted, "Alan Smith transferred to Manchester United in 2004, but afterwards, he did not quite meet the fans' expectations."

An article about the Korean internet slang 'Leeds Period' introduced by the football club away game fans community 'Away Fans'. Screenshot by X

In fact, 'Leeds Sijeol' emerged as a piece of slang in online communities dedicated to international football in Korea in the early 2000s. Korean internet users who were fans of overseas football clubs reminisced, saying "I can never forget how promising Alan Smith was during his Leeds United days," and eventually solidified the term 'Leeds Sijeol'. Today, it has become a widely used Korean expression to nostalgically refer to someone's peak or golden era.

Upon hearing this news, British netizens responded with comments such as, "Is this real?", "How do Koreans know about English football clubs?", and "It's true. My Korean friends use the term 'Leeds Sijeol'." One user emphasized, "I hope people recognize this: Alan Smith still did well after his transfer. He just didn't perform as well as some other players."

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Korea's 'Leeds Sijeol' has come to the UK's attention. Last month, the BBC also reported that the slang term 'Leeds Sijeol' is spreading in Korea, featuring the story of Alan Smith.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.