Korean Dictionary
How to say "Hiatus" in Korean
“Hiatus” in Korean is 활동 중단 (pronounced "hwaldong jungdan").
활동 중단
hwaldong jungdan
Usage & Context
A hiatus in K-pop refers to a period when an idol or group temporarily stops activities, often for health, military service, or personal reasons.
Example Sentence
멤버의 부상으로 그룹은 활동 중단을 선언했다.
The group announced a hiatus due to a member's injury.
How to use 활동 중단 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Hiatus” is 활동 중단, romanized as hwaldong jungdan.
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 활동 중단.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'hwal-dong joong-dahn' — 'hwal' has a quick 'hw' glide ending in 'ahl,' 'dong' rhymes with 'song,' 'joong' rhymes with 'moon' plus 'g,' and 'dahn' rhymes with 'don.' Four crisp syllables.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
활동 중단
hwaldong jungdan
Official / news-media phrasing used in company announcements and press releases
Casual (반말)
잠정 중단
jamjeong jungdan
Temporary pause — softer phrasing that implies a return is expected
More Example Sentences
an official agency statement
건강상의 이유로 활동 중단을 결정했습니다.
Due to health reasons, they've decided to go on hiatus.
fans discussing a male idol's upcoming break
군입대 전에 마지막 앨범 내고 활동 중단한대.
They're putting out one last album before going on hiatus for military enlistment.
explaining a K-pop artist's career to a new fan
이 가수 오래 활동 중단했다가 컴백했어요.
This singer was on hiatus for a long time and then made a comeback.
Cultural Context
활동 중단 is a loaded phrase in K-pop — fans scan every agency statement for whether it says 중단 (pause), 잠정 중단 (temporary pause), or the dreaded 해체 (disbandment). A hiatus commonly happens for mandatory 군입대 (military service, ~18 months for Korean men), health reasons (mental health has become a legitimized reason post-2020), or contract renegotiation around the '7-year curse' (7년 차 징크스). Unlike Western music, a K-pop group on 활동 중단 typically still exists contractually — fans wait out multi-year gaps hoping for a 컴백 (comeback).
Editorial note
We review entries like 활동 중단 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
활동 중단을 선언했어요.
They announced a hiatus.
언제 복귀해요?
When are they coming back?
공백기가 너무 길어요.
The hiatus is way too long.
Related Expressions
컴백
keombaek
comeback (returning with new music)
해체
haeche
disbandment
군입대
gunipdae
military enlistment
공백기
gongbaekgi
blank period / inactive period between comebacks
More Korean Pop Culture Words
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