Oh, that's another nuance! Technically, Tae-Eul should be calling Shin-Jae "Oppa" (since he's older and she's a girl).

Yet she calls him "Hyung-Nim"

Hyung is what guys call their older brothers or older, close guy friends.

Thread

#Tkem #TheKingEternalMonarch #LeeEul https://twitter.com/Nick68223606/status/1380061019263803393

The "-nim" in "Hyung-nim" is a honorific. Adding the "-nim" suffix indicates a mark of respect.

(e.g., my dad calls his older guy friends "Hyung-nim")

But on the other hand, there's no such thing as "Unnie-nim" or "Oppa-nim"... it only applies to Hyungs (lol wth Korea)

By using Hyung-nim instead of Oppa, Tae-Eul positions herself as 'one of the guys'.

She doesn't position herself as Shin-Jae's little sister, or younger (female) friend.

This alone tells a lot about her and her stance towards Shin-Jae.

(Lee Gon never had to worry about her relationship with Kang Shin-Jae in the first place.)

(↓ Edited clip of episode 15 with non-Netflix subtitles).