Kkongkkong
 Kkongkkong in September 2020 | |
| Species | Domestic cat (Felis catus) |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Born | c. 2019 (age 6–7) Likely Seoul, South Korea |
| Known for | Viral Internet meme |
| Owner | Lee Dong-hak |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 꽁꽁 |
| RR | Kkongkkong |
| MR | Kkongkkong |
| www | |
Kkongkkong[1] (Korean: 꽁꽁; born c. 2019) is a South Korean cat who is the subject of an internet meme called "on top of the completely frozen Han River walks a cat" (꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위로 고양이가 걸어다닙니다; kkongkkong eoreobuteun Hangang wiro goyangiga georeodanimnida).
She was born as a stray cat, possibly around 2019. In 2021, a news broadcast with a clip of her[2] became an internet meme and, later, a dance challenge that major South Korean celebrities participated in. In 2025, she was found and adopted by journalist Lee Dong-hak (이동학), who had filmed the video clip that became the subject of the meme.
Biography
[edit]Kkongkkong (name given to her by her current owner) is believed to have been born around 2019 as a stray cat in Seoul. Her estimated birth year is based on research by her current owner, video journalist Lee Dong-hak, who found photos on social media of her as a kitten dating back to around that period. Lee also found a 2021 record of her being spayed, with the record estimating her age at around 3 years old.[3] The record said that she was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time.[4]
In December 2021, Lee filmed a clip for a news broadcast for Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN) of Kkongkkong walking on the frozen Han River in Seoul. In order to emphasize how cold the weather was, fellow journalist Lee Si-yeol (이시열) dubbed the following line over the clip: "on top of the completely frozen Han River walks a cat". Their segment[2] aired on December 27, 2021, and soon became popular online, with the video and audio being remixed and edited into various humorous forms.[5][6][3] Lee Si-yeol's use of the onomatopoeia kkongkkong (꽁꽁), which is used to indicate that something has frozen solid, as well as the rhythmic cadence of his line, drew particular attention.[7] The meme saw a surge in popularity in early 2024.[5] A song remix of the audio and video became an online dance challenge, with numerous major celebrities like IU and brands like Kakao Friends participating.[8][7][9] Both Lees participated in the challenge themselves.[5]
Later, a person uploaded a photo to social media of Kkongkkong in Ttukseom Hangang Park. They were able to recognize Kkongkkong because of the pattern on her coat. Lee Dong-hak saw the post and, worried about Kkongkkong's potentially shorter lifespan in the outdoors, decided to try to adopt her.[7][9] He researched how to take care of a cat. For two weeks, he approached Kkongkkong in the park with food; he claims to have seen and fed her every day of those two weeks. Finally, in the second week of January 2025, he set a baited trap for Kkongkkong. After a day of waiting, Kkongkkong entered it, and Lee took her back to his home.[3]
Lee named her Kkongkkong, after the onomatopoeia that drew attention in her meme.[7] His coworkers raised money to help pay for her medical treatment.[3] Kkongkkong reportedly took around a month to feel comfortable walking around Lee's home. By August, while she was comfortable with receiving some pets and being hand-fed treats, Lee felt she was still skittish.[3]
In August, he began uploading videos to YouTube that document his process of finding and caring for her.[10][11] The videos quickly went viral, accumulating hundreds of thousands of views within days.[7][9] Some commenters reportedly praised Lee for adopting Kkongkkong and described their story as feeling heartwarming and fateful.[9][12]
Kkongkkong and Lee were subjects of the 31 October 2025 episode of the television program Take Care of My Cat.[13][14]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "kkongdaddy". Instagram. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- 1 2 2021년 12월 27일 (월) MBN 종합뉴스 [전체 다시보기] (in Korean). Maeil Broadcasting Network. December 27, 2021. Event occurs at 27:36 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 3 4 5 최승영 (August 14, 2025). ""너구나!" 한 눈에 알아본 그 고양이, 총총 다가왔다". Journalists Association of Korea (in Korean). Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ 꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위를 걷던 고양이는 어쩌다 집냥이가 됐을까? - 꽁꽁의 나이(번외편) (in Korean). 5275 오이칠오. August 9, 2025. Event occurs at 3:21 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 3 강아영 (April 26, 2024). "'꽁냥이' 챌린지 열풍에 기자가 춤을 춥니다". Journalists Association of Korea (in Korean). Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ 지선우 (January 18, 2025). ""꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강" 올해는 보기 어렵다…장시간 춥지 않은 이유". Maeil Broadcasting Network (in Korean). Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Yoon, Min-sik (August 13, 2025). "Journalist adopts cat behind 'frozen Han River' meme". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ 정다정 (May 9, 2024). "모방 통해 퍼지는 '밈', 소셜 속 '생각의 진화' 부르다". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 박선민 (August 5, 2025). "이제 꽁꽁 언 한강서 못 만난다... 카리나도 따라한 '꽁냥이' 근황". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ 정서연 (August 5, 2025). ""꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위로" 걸어가던 '그 고양이'…근황 공개". Yonhap News TV (in Korean). Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ 꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위를 걷던 고양이는 어쩌다 집냥이가 됐을까? 1편 (in Korean). 5275 오이칠오. November 11, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "'꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위' 걷던 고양이, '깜짝 근황'은?". Seoul Broadcasting System (in Korean). August 6, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ [Full] 고양이를 부탁해 - 꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위 고양이, 꽁꽁이 (in Korean). Educational Broadcasting System. November 6, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위 고양이, 꽁꽁이". Educational Broadcasting System (in Korean). October 31, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
