The Word for the Moment a Drama Ends: 종영 (jongyeong) — What Koreans Say as the Ending Credits Roll
종영 (jongyeong)
종영 (jongyeong) means that the screening or broadcasting of a movie, drama, or similar program has come to an end. It points to the state where the last episode has aired and there are no more episodes coming, or to a theater pulling a film from its schedule.
If you follow Korean dramas, there is no way around this word. For two months you’ve been sitting down on the same day at the same hour every week, and then one day the ending credits roll and “그동안 시청해 주셔서 감사합니다 (geudongan sicheonghae jusyeoseo gamsahamnida)” — “Thank you for watching all this time” — appears in the corner of the screen. That night, hundreds of “종영 소감 (jongyeong sogam)” posts — “thoughts on the finale” — go up in fan communities, and the next morning the headlines read something like ”○○, 어제 종영… 자체 최고 시청률 (○○ ended yesterday… its highest ratings yet).” The word that is always there, without fail, is 종영.
The nuance is basically neutral, and a little official. Sadness or regret is not built into the word itself. It shows up first in businesslike places — network announcements, news articles, the “상영 종료 (sangyeong jongnyo)” (“end of screening”) notice on a poster — and that tone simply came down into everyday conversation as is. So when friends say “어제 종영했어 (jongyeonghaesseo)” (“it ended yesterday”), it doesn’t sound stiff at all.
Add two syllables in front, though, and the temperature changes completely. 조기 종영 (jogi jongyeong) literally means ending earlier than planned — but in Korea this phrase is almost always read as “the ratings weren’t there, so they cut the episode count.” Same word, yet one is a record of going the distance and the other is a record of dropping out partway. If you don’t know this difference, something you say to comfort someone can end up hurting them.
Checking It in the National Institute of Korean Language Dictionary
종영 (jongyeong) (noun) 하루나 일정 기간 동안 영화나 드라마 등을 상영하는 일이 끝남. 또는 그 일을 끝냄. [en] end — The end of a movie, drama, etc., aired on a given day or for a certain period, or the act of ending such airing. [ja] しゅうえい【終映】。ほうそうしゅうりょう【放送終了】 — その日やその期間の映画やドラマなどの上映や放映が終わること。また、終えること。 [es] fin, conclusión, término, finalización — Fin de la proyección o transmisión de una serie o una película, ya sea en el día o dentro del plazo definido. [zh] 终映，结束放映 — 一天或一定期间内播放电影或电视剧等的事情结束；或结束那样的事情。 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
Two things in that definition are worth pinning down. First, there’s a condition attached: “on a given day or for a certain period.” In other words, a 16-episode drama finishing as a whole is 종영, and the last showing of a film at a theater on a given day is also 종영. Second, the Korean lists both 끝남 (“ending”) and 끝냄 (“the act of ending”). That means it works both for something ending on its own — 종영이 되다 (jongyeongi doeda) — and for someone ending it — 종영을 하다 (jongyeongeul hada).
The dictionary doesn’t include a Portuguese translation, so here is ours: fim de exibição, encerramento (our own translation).
Now let’s look at the real usage examples listed in the dictionary.
시청률이 자꾸 떨어지던 드라마가 결국 조기 종영을 하였다. Sicheongnyuri jakku tteoreojideon deuramaga gyeolguk jogi jongyeongeul hayeotda. The drama whose ratings kept falling was finally cut short. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
The 조기 종영 we just talked about has made it all the way into a dictionary example. That opening clause, “시청률이 자꾸 떨어지던” (“whose ratings kept falling”), explains the background of the word perfectly. In Korea, 조기 종영 is generally the result printed on a report card.
내가 제일 좋아했던 버라이어티 쇼가 어제 종영했어. Naega jeil joahaetdeon beoraieoti syoga eoje jongyeonghaesseo. The variety show I liked best ended yesterday. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
This is an everyday sentence tossed to a friend in casual speech. It’s proof that 종영 isn’t a news-only word but goes straight into conversation, and it shows that the word attaches not only to dramas but to variety shows too.
김 작가의 드라마는 시청률이 저조해 조기 종영하였다. Gim jakgaui deuramaneun sicheongnyuri jeojohae jogi jongyeonghayeotda. Writer Kim’s drama was cut short due to poor ratings. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
This one is written in article style. Expressions like 저조해 (“being poor”) and the -하였다 ending create the tone of reported news. If you were telling a friend the same fact, it would come out as “그 드라마 시청률 안 나와서 일찍 끝났대 (Geu deurama sicheongnyul an nawaseo iljjik kkeutnannae)” — “I heard that drama ended early because the ratings weren’t good.”
종영을 하다. / 종영을 서두르다. / 종영이 되다. / 종영 시간. Jongyeongeul hada. / Jongyeongeul seodureuda. / Jongyeongi doeda. / Jongyeong sigan. To end (a show). / To rush the ending. / To come to an end. / Closing time (of a screening). — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
These are the word’s frequent partners. 종영을 서두르다 (jongyeongeul seodureuda) means the production team wrapped things up in a hurry, so a negative nuance comes along with it, and 종영 시간 (jongyeong sigan) refers to the time a particular screening ends at a theater.
See It in a Real Conversation
Setting: the living room of Jun-kyung’s place. The ending credits of the final episode of a drama they’ve watched together for two months are just starting to roll.
Jun-kyung: 아… 끝났다. 진짜 종영이네. Ah… it’s over. It really has ended.
Emily: 야, 너 울어? 크레딧 올라가는데 왜 코를 훌쩍여. Hey, are you crying? Why are you sniffling at the credits?
Jun-kyung: 안 울었거든. 근데 두 달 동안 목요일 금요일 저녁이 다 이거였잖아. I wasn’t crying. But for two months, every Thursday and Friday evening was this show.
Emily: 그니까. 다음 주 목요일엔 우리 뭐 하냐. Right. What are we even going to do next Thursday?
Jun-kyung: 몰라. 아, 근데 이거 한때 조기 종영한다는 소문 돌았대. No idea. Oh, by the way, apparently there was a rumor this show would get cut short.
Emily: 헐, 진짜? 시청률 잘 나왔는데? 아무튼 16회 다 채우고 종영해서 다행이다. What, seriously? But the ratings were good. Anyway, I’m just glad it ran all 16 episodes to the end.
This Sounds Off
✗ (after a meeting wraps up) 오늘 회의 세 시에 종영했어요. ✓ (after a meeting wraps up) 오늘 회의 세 시에 끝났어요 (kkeutnasseoyo). → 종영 belongs to things that go out on a screen — movies, dramas, broadcast programs, and nothing else. Use it for a meeting, a class, or an event and it won’t fail to make sense; it will just sound like a joke.
✗ (to an actor who appeared in the drama) 작품이 조기 종영돼서 아쉬우셨겠어요. ✓ (to an actor who appeared in the drama) 벌써 종영해서 아쉬워요. 다음 작품도 기다릴게요. → 조기 종영 effectively means “the numbers didn’t come in,” so bringing it up in front of the person involved isn’t comfort — it’s the finishing blow. Even if it’s true, leave it at plain 종영 unless they bring it up first.
Example Sentences by Situation
Situation 1 — Posting your thoughts in a fan community the night you watched the finale Korean: 벌써 종영이라니 실감이 안 나요. 마지막 회 보고 30분을 그냥 앉아 있었어요. Romanization: Beolsseo jongyeongirani silgami an nayo. Majimak hoe bogo 30buneul geunyang anja isseosseoyo. English: I can’t believe it’s already over. I just sat there for thirty minutes after the finale.
Situation 2 — To a friend rushing to binge a drama they haven’t started yet Korean: 그 드라마 다음 주에 종영한대. 스포 당하기 전에 밀린 거 다 봐야 해. Romanization: Geu deurama daeum jue jongyeonghandae. Seupo danghagi jeone millin geo da bwaya hae. English: They say that drama wraps up next week. I have to catch up before someone spoils it.
Situation 3 — When a movie you meant to see has left the theater Korean: 그 영화 우리 동네 극장에선 벌써 종영했어. 다른 데 알아봐야겠다. Romanization: Geu yeonghwa uri dongne geukjangeseon beolsseo jongyeonghaesseo. Dareun de arabwayagetda. English: That movie already finished its run at our local theater. I’ll have to look for another one.
Polite and Casual Forms, and Similar Expressions
종영 is a noun, so you only have to change what follows it. Casual is 종영했어 (jongyeonghaesseo), polite is 종영했어요 (jongyeonghaesseoyo), and a little more formal is 종영했습니다 (jongyeonghaetseumnida). In articles, the present-tense 종영한다 (jongyeonghanda) is used for advance notices, and the past-tense 종영하였다 (jongyeonghayeotda) for reporting the result.
Let’s compare some expressions that look similar but sit in different places.
| Expression | Tone / intensity | Where it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| 종영 (jongyeong) | Neutral, slightly official | Dramas, movies, broadcast programs. Both news writing and everyday talk |
| 조기 종영 (jogi jongyeong) | Negative; there’s a shadow of failure | When something ends earlier than planned due to weak ratings and the like. Be careful in front of the people involved |
| 완결 (wangyeol) | Neutral. “The story has been fully wrapped up” | Webtoons, web novels, comics. The narrative ending, not the airing |
| 결방 (gyeolbang) | Neutral, temporary | When just one episode doesn’t air. It hasn’t ended |
| 막을 내리다 (mageul naerida) | Emotional, literary | Broadly used for performances, events, even entire eras |
Learners especially tend to mistake 결방 (gyeolbang) for 종영. 결방 is when that week’s episode is skipped because of a sports broadcast or breaking news, and the show is back the following week. Conversely, 종영 isn’t really used for stage performances or concerts — there you’d say 막을 내렸다 (mageul naeryeotda, “the curtain came down”) or 공연이 끝났다 (gongyeoni kkeutnatda, “the performance ended”).
Cultural Background — The End of Two Months, and the 종방연 (jongbangyeon)
종영 is a Sino-Korean word, 終映. It joins 終 (jong, “to finish”) with 映 (yeong, “to project, to shine on a screen”). It shares that second character with 상영 (sangyeong, 上映), meaning to put a film up on the screen — so 개봉 (gaebong, “release”) → 상영 (“screening”) → 종영 (“end of run”) line up in a single row. What was being projected on the screen is no longer projected: judging by the characters alone, it’s that matter-of-fact a word.
And yet Korean broadcasting custom has piled weight onto this matter-of-fact word. Korean mini-series are usually 16 episodes aired twice a week, so watching one all the way through takes exactly two months. From the viewer’s side, an entire season of the year gets tied to that drama. That’s why, on the night of the finale, people even reach for the phrase “종영 후유증 (jongyeong huyujeung)” — fan slang for the state of feeling so empty after a drama ends that you can’t settle into anything.
On the production side, there’s the 종방연 (jongbangyeon, 終放宴). It’s the gathering the actors and crew hold after wrapping the final shoot — literally a “feast (宴) marking the end of the broadcast (終放).” Only when the actors post their 종방연 photos do fans finally go, “Ah, so it really is over.”
On the day a beloved show like Reply 1988 (tvN, 2015–2016) ended, the top of the portal search rankings was nothing but that drama’s name — a scene that surprises no one in Korea. 조기 종영, by contrast, is always quiet. One short article runs saying the episode count has been trimmed from 20 to 16, and the ending gets hastily stitched shut. It’s no coincidence that both dictionary examples begin with talk of ratings.
That said, the word’s place is shifting a little these days. As more shows drop every episode at once on OTT platforms, the very experience of waiting week by week and meeting a final episode has become rarer. So younger viewers often reach for 완결 (wangyeol) or “시즌 끝났다 (sijeun kkeutnatda)” — “the season’s over” — more readily than 종영. Still, as long as weekly scheduling on terrestrial and cable channels stays alive, Thursday-night 종영 will go on.
Today’s Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 종영 naturally?
① 오늘 팀 회의가 세 시간 만에 종영했다. ② 내가 매주 챙겨 보던 사극이 어제 16회로 종영했다. ③ 어제 열린 아이돌 콘서트가 밤 열 시에 종영했다.
See the answer
Answer: ②
종영 belongs to things that go out on a screen — movies, dramas, and broadcast programs only. For the meeting in ①, you want 끝났다 (kkeutnatda); for the concert in ③, 끝났다 or 막을 내렸다 (mageul naeryeotda). ② is a drama, and it even comes with the episode-count detail “16회로” (“with episode 16”), making it the most typical use of all.
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.