''Gomsin'' () is a South Korean term for a young Korean woman who is waiting for their boyfriend to return from their two-year

compulsory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

. The term is an abbreviation of ''

gomusin (; ) are traditional Korean shoes made of rubber. The shoes are wide, with low heels. for men were modeled after "'' gatsin''" (갖신), and ones for women were '' danghye'' (당혜). first appeared in the early 20th century. They were much ...

'', traditional Korean rubber shoes. This in turn is a reference to the phrase "putting on ''gomusin'' backwards" (), which is a euphemism for being dumped while in the military. It is common to find ''gomsin'' among Korean women who are between twenty and thirty years old. "Wearing gomsin" or "putting on gomsin" is slang widely used online in Korea. There are terms to describe men, such as "combat boots". When a girlfriend remains devoted to her boyfriend throughout his service, they may be called "wearing kkotsin." Kkotsin are a type of flower shoe.

Gomusin

Gomusin (; ) are traditional Korean shoes made of rubber. The shoes are wide, with low heels. for men were modeled after "'' gatsin''" (갖신), and ones for women were '' danghye'' (당혜). first appeared in the early 20th century. They were much ...

'' (Korean pronunciation: omuɕʰin are shoes made of rubber, built in the form of traditional Korean shoes. The shoes are wide with low heels. Gomusin for men were modeled after "''gatsin''" (갖신), and ones for women were ''danghye'' (당혜). Gomusin first appeared in the early 20th century; they were easier to keep clean than ''danghye'' and ''jipsin'' (straw shoes) and they could be worn when during wet weather, attracting popularity and replacing traditional footwear.

Putting gomusin on backwards

The term "putting gomusin on backwards" when applied to a couple, refers to the termination of their relationship because the girlfriend chose to pursue other men during the boyfriend's military service. This expression originated from an old Korean tale in which a wife has an affair during her husband's absence while fighting in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. After the war, the husband returns to find his wife in bed with her lover. In her shock, she runs out quickly, putting her ''gomsuin'' on backwards. This expression has been compared to the English metaphor, "writing a

Dear John letter A Dear John letter is a letter written to a man by his wife or romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over, usually because his partner has found another lover. The man is often a member of the military stationed overseas, al ...

Online community

In modern Korean society, there are many communies for ''gomsin'', where users may commiserate with each other and share tips for enduring the long waits.

References

{{reflist Culture of South Korea Military of South Korea