Korean Dictionary
How to say "Breaking News" in Korean
“Breaking News” in Korean is 속보 (pronounced "sokbo").
속보
sokbo
Usage & Context
Breaking news refers to urgent, up-to-the-minute news coverage of developing events. Korean TV channels frequently interrupt regular programming for 속보 alerts.
Example Sentence
속보: 지진이 발생했다는 소식이 들어왔다.
Breaking news: Reports of an earthquake have come in.
How to use 속보 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Breaking News” is 속보, romanized as sokbo.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 속보.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'sok-bo' — 속 like 'sok' with a sharp stop (rhymes with 'poke'), and 보 like 'bo' (as in 'boat'). Two quick, punchy syllables.
More Example Sentences
Describing a viral incident.
속보가 뜨자마자 SNS에서 공유됐다.
The moment the breaking news dropped, it was shared on social media.
Sports coverage.
속보로 경기 결과가 전해졌어요.
The game result was delivered as breaking news.
A viewer reacting to an urgent alert.
뉴스에 빨간색 속보 자막이 떴다.
A red breaking news caption appeared on TV.
Cultural Context
On Korean TV, a red '속보' banner across the screen instantly signals something critical — earthquakes, political crises, celebrity deaths. The word literally means 'quick report' (속 = fast, 보 = report). Koreans also use the verb '속보가 뜨다' ('breaking news pops up') as a casual way to describe urgent alerts via news apps. Overuse of '속보' has become a cultural gripe — viewers complain when trivial updates get the label.
Editorial note
We review entries like 속보 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
속보 떴어요!
Breaking news just dropped!
속보 확인해 봤어요?
Did you check the breaking news?
지금 속보가 나오고 있어요.
Breaking news is airing right now.
Related Expressions
긴급 속보
gingeup sokbo
Urgent breaking news
뉴스 속보
nyuseu sokbo
News flash
자막
jamak
On-screen caption/subtitle
특보
teukbo
Special report
More Media & Journalism Words
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