The life of a gyopo (Korean who permanently resides in another country) in Korea is not an easy one, especially if you are a gyopo with a limited knowledge of the Korean language. Eric Nam was one such gyopo to experience the struggles with the confusing Korean language which can trip up even native speakers.
The singer talked all about his past difficulties with the Korean language on the May 12 episode of 'Happy Together.' He told the guests and MCs, "I've made several mistakes on air because of my mispronunciations. I was supposed to say 'image byunshin' (Korean word for 'change') but instead I pronounced it as 'byungshin (Korean word for 'retard')'; thankfully, it was just a recording so [what I said] was edited out."
Eric Nam then went on to say that he used to have a difficult time saying the Korean term shibaljeom which means 'starting point' as shibal is an offensive word. He recalled, "I even begged my manager. I told him, 'I'll only sing and attend events. I will never do variety.' It was so hard for me that I even had nightmares."
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