Korean word

실종

Pronunciation

Romanizationsiljong

Meaning

  • noundisappearance

Example

그는 아이의 실종을 신고했다.keu neun a i ui sil jong eul sin go haet tta

He reported the child's disappearance.

Illustration for 실종 (disappearance)

More examples

이웃의 실종 소식을 듣고 놀랐다.i u sui sil jong so si geul teut kko nol lat tta

I was surprised to hear that a neighbor had gone missing.

Core concept

A person can no longer be located, so their whereabouts are unknown to the people around them.

Common phrases

  • 실종 신고sil jong sin go

    missing-person report

  • 실종 사건sil jong sa geon

    missing-person case

  • 실종 수사sil jong su sa

    missing-person investigation

Similar words

행방불명haengbangbulmyeong: A state in which a person's whereabouts are unknown, often recorded in formal written reports.
실종자siljongja: A person whose whereabouts are unknown and who cannot currently be located.

Definition in Korean

어떤 사람의 위치나 행방이 알려지지 않아 주변인이 그 사람을 찾지 못하는 상태eo tteon sa ra mui wi chi na haeng bang i al lyeo ji ji a na chu byeo ni ni keu sa ra meul chat jji mo ta neun sang tae

Word origin

실종 (siljong, "disappearance") combines 실 (sil, "to lose") and 종 (jong, "trace"), creating the image of a person whose trail has been lost.

Usage tips

  • In Korean news and police language, 실종 (siljong, "disappearance") does not by itself suggest a crime or an intentional escape; it simply reports that a person cannot be found.

Other meanings

  • missingnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 실종자siljongjamissing personnoun
  • 실종되다siljongdoedago missingverb

Word lists with this word