[옥스포드 사전 홈페이지] chimaek (2012) – chimaek (2012), borrowed from the Korean chimaek, which combines the chi– in chikin with the maek– in maekju. Maekju is the Korean word for ‘beer’, while chikin is a Korean word borrowed from the English word chicken, although in Korean chikin only means ‘fried chicken’ and not the live animal. The use of chimaek in English goes back to 2012, but this combination of fried chicken and beer was popularized outside South Korea by the 2014 K-drama My Love from the Star. The lead character on this fantasy rom-com, played by top South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun, constantly craved and snacked on chimaek, thus starting a Korean fried chicken craze in China and other Asian countries where the show was a huge hit.
