Hunbalnom

Origin

"Hunbalnom" is a derogatory nickname for Hun-i — Masao Sato in the Japanese original — a supporting character in the anime Crayon Shin-chan (known in Korea as "Jjanggu"). It fuses his Korean name with a swear word, and it stuck because of scenes in the theatrical films where he betrays his friends or looks out only for himself.

What matters is that the nickname was not coined when the films came out. According to Namu Wiki's account, before the second half of 2016 complaints about the character amounted to "he cries too much" — almost nobody attacked his character. That changed in late 2016, when screenshots of the betrayal scene from the theatrical film released in Korea as Glorious Bulgogi Road began circulating on large Korean communities. From late 2017 his conduct in other films was dug up one by one, and the label "Hunbalnom" hardened.

Spread

Around 2020, as YouTube and community sites grew and a wave of retro nostalgia hit, the Shin-chan films were consumed all over again. Compilations titled things like "Hunbalnom's crimes" were mass-produced, and because screenshots often traveled without their original context, distorted retellings spread with them.

The meme also draws criticism. A February 2nd, 2022 newspaper column placed Hunbalnom alongside "Jiwoo-rege," an insult aimed at the Pokémon protagonist, and questioned adults attaching slurs to children characters aged five and ten through sensational, view-chasing edits. The column tied that habit to real-world attitudes toward children, including the spread of no-kids zones.

Usage

For someone who slips out of a group effort or grabs only their own share
When a trusted person backs out at the decisive moment: "classic Hunbalnom move"
As a reaction image, pasting the betrayal screenshot itself
Inverted, to mock the pile-on: "the kid is five years old"