Danso Murderer

The "Danso Murderer" meme originates from an incident that occurred on Seoul Subway Line 7 in 2015. A drunken man was seen wielding a danso (a traditional Korean flute) in a threatening manner toward passengers. Although he did not physically assault anyone, his exaggerated gestures made it appear as if he was using the instrument as a weapon. The footage of the incident quickly spread online, and his nickname, "Danso Murderer," became widely recognized, leading to numerous parodies.

This meme resurfaced in 2017 through Facebook, gaining renewed popularity. Comedian Yang Se-chan parodied it on the TV show "Comedy Big League," and Jeong Eun-ji reenacted the character in a skit on "SNL Korea," making it even more well-known. The combination of an intimidating posture with an ultimately harmless object contributed to the comedic appeal of the meme.

Since then, "Danso Murderer" has been labeled as a "subway villain" or the "Legend of Line 7," cementing its place in Korean meme culture. The character has also been reimagined in video games like GTA and continues to be widely parodied in various online communities.