괄도네넴띤

Origin

Gwaldonenemttin is Korean internet slang for Paldo Bibimmyeon, the signature cold spicy noodle product from food company Paldo. It comes from the fact that if you glance at the words 팔도비빔면 (Paldo Bibimmyeon) on the package, the strokes seem to tangle into 괄도네넴띤 (gwaldonenemttin). It is a pun that transcribes that optical illusion, with the ㅍ in 팔 looking like ㄱ and the consonants and vowels of 비빔면 appearing jumbled, and it belongs to the wordplay known as yamin jeongeum, in which Korean syllables are swapped for similar-looking ones.

The word, which had circulated only online, became widely known in 2019 when the manufacturer itself adopted it as a product name. In February 2019, Paldo released a limited-edition "Gwaldonenemttin" to mark the 35th anniversary of Bibimmyeon. It was about five times spicier than the regular product, with jalapeño added to boost the heat, and was first sold for a limited period as part of a Paldo noodle set on the online marketplace 11st.

Spread

The response was enthusiastic. The first limited run of 5 million packs, later released to general retail, sold out within a month, and after additional production a total of 10 million were sold. In March alone, normally an off-season month, Bibimmyeon sold 10 million packs, a figure on par with the summer peak.

The effect showed up clearly in the numbers. According to a June 2019 Digital Times report, Paldo Bibimmyeon's first-quarter 2019 sales reached 15.14 billion won, up 40.4% from 10.78 billion won a year earlier, and it entered the top 10 ramen products by sales for the first time despite the winter and spring off-season. Gwaldonenemttin accounted for 33% of Bibimmyeon's first-quarter sales. Paldo followed up with a string of seasonal limited editions, including a winter version with bonito udon soup and a spring version with cherry blossom–shaped fish cakes. It is cited as a leading success story of marketing that borrowed young people's internet wordplay directly for a product name.

Usage

• A playful nickname for Paldo Bibimmyeon: "Gwaldonenemttin for lunch today"
• As an example of yamin jeongeum, alongside swaps like daengdaengi for meongmeongi (puppy) and rom-gok for nun-mul (tears)
• When talking about internet wordplay used in product names and marketing

Sources

• Kyeonggi Ilbo, "What is 'Gwaldonenemttin'? Paldo releases a 5x spicier limited-edition Bibimmyeon" (February 19, 2019) — explanation that misreading 팔도비빔면 makes it look like 괄도네넴띤, the 35th-anniversary limited edition, jalapeño and 5x spiciness, set sales on 11st
• Digital Times, "Limited-edition 'Gwaldonenemttin' works... Paldo Bibimmyeon sales jump 40%" (June 17, 2019) — 5 million packs sold out in a month and 10 million in total, 10 million in March, first-quarter sales of 15.14 billion won and 40.4% growth, entry into the top 10, Gwaldonenemttin's 33% share, seasonal limited editions