Global meets local

Abstract This study examines English-Korean hybrid neologisms as a dynamic feature of youth language in contemporary Korea. Employing a mixed-methods approach that integrates linguistic analysis with survey data from university students, it investigates how hybrid expressions such as gatsaeng ‘God-life’ and juchabilleon ‘parking villain’ are formed through derivation, compounding, blending, pseudo-affixation, wordplay, and semantic duplication. These hybrids creatively embed English lexical elements within Korean grammatical and discursive structures, reflecting both linguistic innovation and cultural localization. Survey findings reveal that such hybrid expressions are widely used in casual conversation and digital spaces, often without conscious awareness of their hybrid nature – indicating lexical normalization. While participants only moderately associated hybrids with global or cultural identity, they valued them for their brevity, relatability, and ability to foster peer connection in fast-paced, media-rich environments. Some hybrids, such as noepisyeol ‘brain + official’, also function as tools for humor, irony and social critique. Overall, the study argues that English-Korean hybrid vocabulary serves not only as a site of linguistic creativity but also as a sociocultural marker. By blending global English with local communicative practices, Korean youth use hybrid terms to construct identity, reinforce group belonging, and engage with increasingly digitalized cultural spaces. These findings contribute to broader discussions on language change, identity and media influence in non-English-dominant contexts.