엠티 (emti): Twenty People at Cheongnyangni Station and a Trip Built on Ten Packs of Pork Belly
엠티 (emti)
엠티 (emti) means a short trip that people belonging to the same organization take together in order to grow closer to one another. Stand in front of a Korean university department bulletin board during the first week of March and you are guaranteed to meet this word. “Korean Language and Literature freshman MT — Fri, March 21 to Sat, March 22, Gapyeong, fee 40,000 won.” Two or three weeks after the semester starts, notices like this go up for every department and every club. And that Friday afternoon, twenty people with backpacks are gathered in the waiting hall of Cheongnyangni Station. Inside the black plastic bags in their hands: pork belly, lettuce, paper cups. That is 엠티 (emti).
The reason this word is tricky for Korean learners is that it drags around a picture far thicker than its definition. If you say 여행 갔다 왔어 (yeohaeng gatda wasseo) — “I went on a trip” — Koreans will ask where you went. But if you say 엠티 갔다 왔어 (emti gatda wasseo), nobody asks about the place. Instead they ask 몇 명이나 갔어? (myeot myeongina gasseo?) “How many people went?”, 재밌었어? (jaemisseosseo?) “Was it fun?”, 몇 시에 잤어? (myeot sie jasseo?) “What time did you go to sleep?” Everyone already knows this is a trip whose core is the people you go with, not the destination.
The purpose of an 엠티 (emti) is not sightseeing but bonding. So three conditions come attached. First, you can’t go alone — it is always a group. Second, that group already has a defined membership (a department, a club, a company team, a student council). Third, it’s short. Usually one night and two days, three days at the very most. If even one of the three is missing, it isn’t an 엠티 (emti), it’s just a trip.
It’s a noun, so you attach a verb after it. The most common form is 엠티를 가다 (emti-reul gada), though in speech it sounds more natural to drop the particle and say 엠티 가다 (emti gada). 엠티를 계획하다 (emti-reul gyehoekhada) “to plan an MT” and 엠티에 가다 (emti-e gada) are also used. It’s extremely common to put the group in front, too: 학과 엠티 (hakkwa emti) “department MT,” 동아리 엠티 (dongari emti) “club MT,” 신입생 엠티 (sinipsaeng emti) “freshman MT.”
Checking the National Institute of Korean Language dictionary
How does a dictionary built by a government institute record this word? Here is the definition and the translations into each language from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary.
엠티 (emti) 「명사 (myeongsa) — noun」 단체 구성원들이 서로 더 가까워지기 위해 어울려 떠나는 짧은 여행. (danche guseongwondeuri seoro deo gakkawojigi wihae eoullyeo tteonaneun jjalbeun yeohaeng.) “A short trip that the members of a group take together in order to become closer to one another.” [English] outing; trip — An excursion that a group goes on together to foster solidarity or camaraderie. [Japanese] しょうりょこう【小旅行】 — 団体の構成員たちが親睦のために出かける短い旅行。 [Spanish] viaje con compañeros, viaje con colegas — Corto viaje que hacen entre los miembros de un grupo con el propósito de conocerse mejor. [Chinese] 联谊会，MT — 为团体成员变得更加亲近而一起出游的短暂旅行。 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
The part of the definition worth noticing is 서로 더 가까워지기 위해 (seoro deo gakkawojigi wihae) — “in order to become closer to one another.” The purpose is embedded right inside the meaning. The English gloss’s to foster solidarity or camaraderie, the Chinese 联谊, and the Spanish conocerse mejor all point to the same place. For reference, a Portuguese translation is not included in this dictionary. So this one line is our own rendering — viagem curta de confraternização entre os membros de um grupo. (Noting clearly that this is our own translation, not a dictionary quotation.)
Let’s also look at the real usage examples listed in the same dictionary.
엠티 장소로 정해진 곳이 어디냬요? — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
(emti jangsoro jeonghaejin gosi eodinyaeyo?) “They’re asking where the place chosen for the MT is.” This is the very first question that flies around the group chat. 어디냬요 (eodinyaeyo) is a contracted indirect-quotation form of 어디냐고 해요 (eodinyago haeyo), so it’s a situation where someone is relaying another person’s question. An 엠티 (emti) is the kind of plan where you settle the place first and attach everything else afterward.
직원들이 다 같이 엠티를 가면 친목이 도모될 수 있지 않을까요? — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
(jigwondeuri da gachi emti-reul gamyeon chinmogi domodoel su itji aneulkkayo?) “If all the staff went on an MT together, wouldn’t that build some camaraderie?” This sentence shows that an 엠티 (emti) isn’t a university-only thing. You say this when proposing at work that the team loosen up a bit. 친목을 도모하다 (chinmogeul domohada) is a somewhat formal expression meaning “to build closeness between people.”
동기 엠티. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
(donggi emti.) “Same-year MT.” 동기 (donggi) refers to people who entered the same school or joined the same company in the same year. An 엠티 (emti) that only the 동기 (donggi) attend, with no seniors along, has no hierarchy, so it’s considered the most comfortable kind. Sorting the types by putting the group in front like this is the word’s basic usage pattern.
내일 엠티에 선배들도 올 수 있는지 연락해 볼게요. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
(naeil emti-e seonbaedeuldo ol su inneunji yeollakhae bolgeyo.) “I’ll get in touch and see whether the seniors can come to tomorrow’s MT too.” This is a scene where a junior member has taken charge of the preparations and is playing the grown-up. Notice that the particle here is 엠티에 (emti-e). 엠티를 가다 (emti-reul gada) refers to the whole act of going, while 엠티에 오다/참석하다 (emti-e oda / chamseokhada) refers to joining the gathering itself.
엠티를 가다. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
(emti-reul gada.) “To go on an MT.” This is the most basic form. Memorize this one chunk whole, and everything else is just a matter of swapping in tense and politeness levels.
A real conversation
Scene: the meat section of a big supermarket on a Saturday morning. The cart holds a mountain of pork belly.
Emily: 야, 이거 너무 많은 거 아니야? 삼겹살 열 팩이 뭐야. Hey, isn’t this way too much? Ten packs of pork belly?
Jun-kyung: 스무 명이 엠티 가는 거야. 이 정도는 첫날 밤에 다 없어져. Twenty people are going on an MT. This much disappears the first night.
Emily: 스무 명? 나 한국 산 지 십오 년인데 아직 엠티는 한 번도 못 가 봤어. Twenty? I’ve lived in Korea fifteen years and I’ve still never been on an MT.
Jun-kyung: 진짜? 그럼 이번에 같이 가자. 회비 삼만 원이면 돼. Really? Then come along this time. The fee’s just thirty thousand won.
Emily: 밤새 게임하고 술 마시는 거 아니야? 나 새벽엔 자야 되는데. Isn’t it staying up all night playing games and drinking? I need to sleep at some point.
Jun-kyung: 요즘 엠티는 안 그래. 열두 시면 다들 뻗어. MTs aren’t like that these days. Everyone’s out cold by midnight.
Using it this way sounds off
✗ 지난 주말에 가족끼리 엠티 갔다 왔어요. (jinan jumare gajokkkiri emti gatda wasseoyo.) ✓ 지난 주말에 가족끼리 여행 갔다 왔어요. (jinan jumare gajokkkiri yeohaeng gatda wasseoyo.) → An 엠티 (emti) is a trip taken by “people who were strangers and then got bundled into one organization” so they can get close. A family is already past the point of needing to get close, so the word doesn’t attach. Friends going off to have fun together is likewise just 여행 (yeohaeng) “a trip.”
✗ (To a manager at a client company) 부장님, 저희 팀이랑 엠티 한번 가시죠. (bujangnim, jeohui timirang emti hanbeon gasijyo.) ✓ (To a manager at a client company) 부장님, 저희 팀이랑 식사 한번 하시죠. (bujangnim, jeohui timirang siksa hanbeon hasijyo.) → 엠티 (emti) is a word used among people inside the same group, so offering it to an outside guest feels like crossing a line. On top of that, it carries a whiff of campus life, so it sounds too casual in a formal relationship. Company to company, 워크숍 (wokeusyop) “workshop” is the word that fits the occasion.
Example sentences by situation
1) Setting a date in a club group chat
이번 엠티 언제로 할까? 시험 끝나고 바로 가는 게 낫지 않아? (ibeon emti eonjero halkka? siheom kkeunnago baro ganeun ge natji anha?) When should we do the MT this time? Wouldn’t right after exams be better?
This is the first message thrown out by whoever is handling the money and logistics. An 엠티 (emti) always starts like this, with a vote on the date.
2) A team leader proposing it in a company meeting
다음 달에 팀 엠티 한번 가시죠. 1박 2일로 짧게요. (daeum dare tim emti hanbeon gasijyo. ilbak-iil-lo jjalkkeyo.) Let’s go on a team MT next month. Just a short overnighter.
-시죠 (-sijyo) is an ending that is polite while also carrying the warmth of “let’s do this together.” The 짧게요 (jjalkkeyo) “keep it short” tacked on at the end is there because everyone knows a long 엠티 (emti) becomes a burden.
3) The day after coming back from an MT, to a friend
나 어제 엠티 갔다 와서 목이 다 쉬었어. (na eoje emti gatda waseo mogi da swieosseo.) I came back from an MT yesterday and my voice is completely gone.
목이 쉬다 (mogi swida) means to go hoarse. It’s a very MT-like sentence, delivering the whole story of a night spent shouting and singing in a single word.
Politeness levels and similar expressions
Since 엠티 (emti) is a noun, the politeness is carried by the verb that follows it. Set the ladder up from the bottom and it looks like this. 엠티 가자 (emti gaja) — a suggestion to a friend. 엠티 갈래? (emti gallae?) — asking in casual speech. 엠티 가요 (emti gayo) — soft polite speech. 엠티 가시죠 (emti gasijyo) — inviting someone senior to you. 엠티를 갔습니다 (emti-reul gatseumnida) — the formal style used in a report or presentation.
Here are some words that look similar but sit in different places.
| Expression | Tone / intensity | Where it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| 엠티 (emti) | Excited and relaxed. The goal is bonding | Departments, clubs, young teams. At least one overnight stay |
| 워크숍 (wokeusyop) | Official, smells like work | Company documents, in front of a boss. Training or meeting sessions are built in |
| 야유회 (yayuhoe) | Dignified, low-key | A company or organization’s spring/autumn outing. Usually a day trip |
| 회식 (hoesik) | A gathering for eating and drinking | One evening meal. No travel, no overnight stay |
| 수련회 (suryeonhoe) | Smells of discipline and training | School or church groups. The schedule is packed tight with programs |
Even for the exact same one-night, two-day trip, it commonly becomes 워크숍 (wokeusyop) when written in a company memo and 엠티 (emti) when the team members talk among themselves. The word picks its own seat, in a sense.
Cultural background — why “MT” of all things?
엠티 (emti) is the English letters M and T written in Hangul, and it’s widely known to have been assembled in Korea from the initials of Membership Training. It only borrows two English words as raw material; it’s a Korean-made coinage not used in the English-speaking world, so if you say “MT” as-is, foreigners won’t understand. That’s exactly why the dictionary attaches outing and trip as the English translations.
There’s an old formula for the location. From Seoul you take the Gyeongchun Line out to Daeseong-ri, Cheongpyeong, Gapyeong, or Gangchon. That whole area is lined with pensions that have rooms fitting twenty people at once and barbecue grills in the yard, and people call the neighborhood collectively 엠티촌 (emti-chon), “MT village.” Once you arrive, the order of events is more or less fixed too. Drop your bags, shop at the nearby supermarket, grill the pork belly, sit in a circle at night and play games, have serious conversations in the small hours with whoever can’t sleep, boil ramyeon in the morning, and disperse. This exact sequence is what a Korean pictures at the single line 엠티 갔다 왔어 (emti gatda wasseo).
In March it’s easy to confuse it with 오티 (oti, orientation), but 오티 (oti) is the official event where you’re introduced to the school and the department, while 엠티 (emti) is the get-together afterward where you become friends. And 오티 (oti) comes first in the order.
Over the past decade or so this culture has changed quite a bit. As practices like pressuring people to drink and putting senior–junior hierarchy front and center came in for heavy criticism, alcohol-free MTs that cut the drinking entirely and day-trip MTs with no overnight stay have both increased. Jun-kyung’s line, 요즘 엠티는 안 그래 (yojeum emti-neun an geurae) “MTs aren’t like that these days,” points to this shift. Watching a drama set on a 1990s campus, like Reply 1994 (tvN, 2013), gives you a feel for the air of an era when people moved around in whole-department packs — today’s 엠티 (emti) is far lighter and shorter than that.
Today’s quiz
Which of the following uses 엠티 (emti) naturally?
- 어제 혼자 계곡으로 엠티 다녀왔어요. (eoje honja gyegogeuro emti danyeowasseoyo.)
- 다음 주에 동아리 엠티 가는데 같이 갈래? (daeum jue dongari emti ganeunde gachi gallae?)
- 부모님 모시고 제주도로 엠티를 갔다 왔습니다. (bumonim mosigo jejudoro emti-reul gatda watseumnida.)
Show the answer
The answer is number 2. There’s a defined group to belong to (the club), several people go together, and the schedule is short — all three conditions are met. Number 1 can’t be an 엠티 (emti) because the person went alone (계곡에 놀러 갔다 왔어요 (gyegoge nolleo gatda wasseoyo) “I went out to the valley for fun” is the right way to say it). Number 3 is a family trip, so there’s no organization to build camaraderie within (가족 여행을 갔다 왔습니다 (gajok yeohaengeul gatda watseumnida) “I went on a family trip” is the natural phrasing).
Definitions and example sentences are from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr); that portion of this post, including our translations, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.