/kkot-je-bi/
origin · Source
The term became widely known during North Korea’s severe food crisis in the 1990s, when many displaced children and poor people survived around train stations and markets. Its origin is often linked to a Russian word for wanderers or nomads, but the exact path into everyday Korean usage is not fully certain.
ex)
2go-geup-gwa-ja
ex)
"There was no proper meal, so we joked that we were having ‘premium snacks’ again."
originThe phrase is understood as a North Korean survival-era slang expression. In times of food shortage, scorched rice could replace a proper meal, and calling it a ‘premium snack’ turned hardship into bitter, self-mocking humor.
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sip-il-ho-cha
ex)
"No bus today, so I guess I’m taking the number 11 vehicle."
originThe term is listed in South Korea’s Ministry of Unification North Korea slang resources as meaning ‘two legs.’ It is understood as a humorous everyday metaphor in North Korean speech, especially when walking replaces scarce or inconvenient transportation.
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