한1999
ㅋㅋ (kk)
Korean text laughter like haha or lol.
Meaning
It marks laughter in Korean online chat, from a light chuckle to loud laughter as the number of letters grows. The tone is casual and friendly, though a terse ㅋ can feel dry or passive-aggressive.
Origin
It reportedly comes from late-1990s Korean PC chat culture, where sounds like keukeu and kikik were reduced to initial ㅋ. No exact first use is documented, so it is commonly credited to chat slang rather than one creator. It spread via SMS, forums and KakaoTalk to become the standard laugh.
How it's used
People add it after a sentence to show amusement or soften the tone. It acts as an interjection without inflection, with longer strings meaning stronger laughter.
Example
That was hilarious ㅋㅋ see you tomorrow.
Variants & related
Forms range from ㅋ to long ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ, plus softer ㅎㅎ and mixed ㅋㅎ. Related forms include ㅠㅠ for tears and English lol as a functional counterpart.
Common misunderstandings
Outsiders often read it as English k k rather than a laugh sound. A lone ㅋ is not always joyful and can sound cold, and heavy laughter is out of place in formal messages.