What Does "Mukbang" Mean? The Korean Eating Show, Explained
Mukbang (먹방) means an eating broadcast: a video or livestream of someone eating while talking to viewers. Learn where the word comes from and related words.
By a native Korean teacher · · 2 min read
Mukbang (먹방, officially romanized meokbang) means an "eating broadcast": a video or livestream where someone eats, often a lot of food, while talking to viewers. The word combines 먹 from 먹다 (meokda, to eat) and 방 from 방송 (bangsong, broadcast).
Word at a glance
먹방meokbang
- Literally
- eating broadcast
- In natural English
- an eating show or video
Where the word comes from
Korean loves short blends. 먹방 takes the first syllable of 먹는 ("eating") and the first syllable of 방송 ("broadcast"). The format grew on Korean personal livestreaming platforms, where hosts ate dinner on camera and chatted with viewers in real time, and it later spread worldwide through YouTube.
The word has traveled so far that the Oxford English Dictionary added "mukbang" in 2021, along with other Korean words such as aegyo and daebak.
What happens in a mukbang
Some mukbangs show huge amounts of food, such as piles of noodles, fried chicken or seafood. Others are calm and focus on the sound of eating, close to ASMR. Many viewers say they watch because eating alone feels less lonely with company, or simply because it is relaxing to watch someone enjoy food.
먹방 보면서 밥 먹어.
Meokbang bomyeonseo bap meogeo.
I eat while watching mukbangs.
진짜 맛있게 먹는다.
Jinjja masitge meongneunda.
They eat so deliciously.
Mukbang in everyday Korean
Koreans also use the word casually. If a friend eats with great enthusiasm, someone might joke 먹방 찍네, "You're filming a mukbang." On variety shows, a scene where a celebrity eats happily is often captioned as a 먹방, and fans praise idols who eat well on camera.
너 먹방 찍어?
Neo meokbang jjigeo?
Are you filming a mukbang or what?
오늘 먹방 찍을 거야.
Oneul meokbang jjigeul geoya.
I'm filming a mukbang today.
Words built like mukbang
Once 먹방 caught on, Korean made more words with -방 for "broadcast."
- 쿡방 (kukbang): a cooking show, from English "cook" plus 방
- 술방 (sulbang): a drinking stream, from 술 (sul, alcohol)
- 겜방 (gembang): a gaming stream, from 게임 (geim, game)
- 공방 (gongbang): a study-with-me stream, from 공부 (gongbu, study); note that 공방 also means a craft workshop
How to pronounce mukbang
Say "muhk-bahng." The vowel ㅓ sounds like the u in "cup," which is why fans write "muk" while the official romanization is meokbang.
Questions people ask
Is mukbang a Korean word?+
Yes. It is a Korean blend of 먹는 (eating) and 방송 (broadcast), and it is now used in English too.
Is it spelled mukbang or meokbang?+
Meokbang is the official romanization. Mukbang is the spelling most English speakers use.
What is the difference between mukbang and ASMR?+
Mukbang is about eating on camera. Some mukbangs also focus on eating sounds, which overlaps with ASMR.
Is the word mukbang in English dictionaries?+
Yes. The Oxford English Dictionary added it in 2021.