Gaviscon

The 'Gaviscon' meme originated from a TV commercial for the antacid medication 'Gaviscon' featuring actor Kim Ha-kyun. In the ad, Kim Ha-kyun portrays discomfort with heartburn, followed by a calm and relaxed expression after taking the medication. His expressive performance and the line "The pain will subside, and comfort will last long" left a strong impression on viewers.

Subsequently, netizens began creating various reaction memes using Kim Ha-kyun's uncomfortable and relaxed expressions from the ad. The meme evolved into a format where the word 'Uncomfortable' is added to images depicting discomfort, and 'Comfortable' is added to those showing relief. These parodies quickly spread across online communities and social media, further amplified by tools like the 'Gaviscon Meme Generator' which enabled the creation of even more versions of the meme.

The 'Gaviscon' meme is mainly used to depict uncomfortable situations and their resolutions or reversals. For instance, a sequence could show an uncomfortable image, followed by Kim Ha-kyun's uncomfortable expression from the ad, then an image depicting the resolution of the issue, and finally Kim Ha-kyun's relaxed expression from the ad. This format effectively conveys the idea of discomfort being resolved into comfort, making it very popular among netizens. Additionally, when it was revealed that Gaviscon's manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser was involved in the humidifier disinfectant scandal, parodies such as "Comfort will subside, and pain will last long" emerged as satirical versions of the ad's slogan.

This meme has been applied across various fields, including politics, society, and culture. Notably, during the 2022 South Korean presidential election, 'Gaviscon memes' were widely circulated to parody candidates' images or statements.