Glossary
Korean BJ Glossary
A plain-language reference to Korean BJ (livestreamer) culture — platforms, donations, crews and the terms used across this site. Factual and source-neutral.
Roles
- BJ (Broadcast Jockey) 비제이 / BJ
- Korean term for a livestreamer or internet broadcaster, coined on AfreecaTV (now SOOP). Stands for "Broadcast Jockey." Read more
- Best BJ (베스트BJ) 베스트BJ
- An established broadcaster tier on AfreecaTV/SOOP, granted to BJs who meet activity and audience criteria.
- Partner BJ (파트너BJ) 파트너BJ
- A higher broadcaster tier above Best BJ on AfreecaTV/SOOP, with additional benefits.
- Yeocam (여캠) 여캠
- A female cam broadcaster — short for "female camera broadcast." Most dance BJs in this directory are yeocam.
- Namcam (남캠) 남캠
- A male cam broadcaster — short for "male camera broadcast."
Platforms
- SOOP (formerly AfreecaTV) 숲 / 수프
- Major Korean livestreaming platform, formerly named AfreecaTV; rebranded to SOOP in 2024. Uses "star balloons" as its donation currency. Read more
- PandaTV (Pandalive) 팬더티비 / 판다라이브
- Korean livestreaming platform popular for dance and glamour broadcasts; uses "hearts" as its gift unit. Read more
- CHZZK 치지직
- Naver's livestreaming platform, launched in 2024; grew quickly after Twitch withdrew from South Korea. Read more
- FlexTV 플렉스티비
- Korean livestreaming platform used by some BJs, including dance and talk broadcasters. Read more
- AfreecaTV 아프리카TV
- The former name of SOOP, a major Korean livestreaming platform; rebranded to SOOP in 2024. Still widely used by longtime viewers.
- SOOP Global 숲 글로벌
- The international version of SOOP, aimed at overseas viewers; some BJs simulcast to it alongside the Korean service.
- Twitch 트위치
- Global livestreaming platform that ended its South Korean service in early 2024, prompting many viewers to move to CHZZK and SOOP.
- DouYu 斗鱼 / 더우위
- A major Chinese livestreaming platform; appears for a small number of BJs with activity in the Chinese-language market.
Donations & economy
- Star Balloon (별풍선) 별풍선
- The virtual donation gift on AfreecaTV/SOOP. Viewers buy and send star balloons to a BJ, who converts them to income. Read more
- Heart (하트) 하트
- PandaTV's virtual gift unit. Viewers send hearts to a broadcaster during a stream, similar to SOOP's star balloons.
- Donation (후원 / 도네) 후원 / 도네
- Viewer tipping during a live stream, the main income source for most BJs. Each platform has its own gift currency.
- Subscription (구독) 구독
- A recurring monthly fee from a viewer to a broadcaster for perks; a steadier income source alongside one-off donations.
Content types
- Mukbang (먹방) 먹방
- An "eating broadcast" — a livestream where the host eats food while chatting with viewers. A Korean format now popular worldwide. Read more
- Fancam (직캠) 직캠
- A single-focus video, usually of one performer's dance, shot or framed to follow that person throughout. Read more
- Dance / Cover Dance (댄스) 댄스 / 커버댄스
- Live dance content, often cover dances of K-pop and viral songs; the core content type of the BJs in this directory.
- Sotong (소통) 소통
- "Communication" content — chatting and interacting directly with viewers, a staple alongside dance and mukbang.
- Joint Broadcast (합방) 합방
- A collaborative broadcast where two or more BJs stream together; common within crews and between friends.
- Reaction (리액션) 리액션
- Content where a BJ reacts on stream to music, videos, or dances, often combined with dance or talk.
- ASMR ASMR
- Audio-focused content using soft, close-up sounds to relax viewers; some BJs run ASMR streams alongside other content.
Crews & competition
- Crew (크루) 크루
- A group of BJs who broadcast together, often in seasonal dance-competition programs with their own rules and rankings. Read more
- Rank Battle (직급전) 직급전
- A crew format where members compete for corporate-style job titles based on donations and votes.
- Pledge (공약) 공약
- A promise a BJ makes to perform something (a song, dance, or segment) once a donation or vote goal is reached.
- Fan Sentiment Vote (민심) 민심
- "Public sentiment" — fan voting used in crew competitions to rank members alongside donation totals.
- Chairman (회장) 회장
- The top corporate-style title in a crew rank battle, given to the highest-placing member.
- Director (이사) 이사
- A high corporate-style rank in a crew rank battle, below chairman.
- General Manager (부장) 부장
- A mid-to-high corporate-style rank in a crew rank battle.
- Team Leader (팀장) 팀장
- A mid-level corporate-style rank in a crew rank battle.
- Assistant Manager (대리) 대리
- A lower corporate-style rank in a crew rank battle.
Programs & crews
- Jinricp (진리컵) 진리컵
- A Korean BJ dance-crew competition program broadcast mainly on PandaTV, run in seasons with member rankings. Read more
- Mscrew33 (Full Moon / 풀문) 엠스크류33 / 풀문
- A Korean BJ dance crew on PandaTV, currently branded Full Moon (풀문); runs a corporate rank battle (직급전) where donation totals decide each member's job title. Read more
- Pandaclass (판다클래스) 판다클래스
- A major PandaTV Korean BJ dance-crew competition hosted by Seonjeong (sunjungs); seasonal ranking battles with large rosters — nine seasons since 2024. Read more
Other terms
- Ban / Permanent Ban (정지 / 영정) 정지 / 영정
- A platform suspension; 영정 (yeongjeong) means a permanent ban. BJs sometimes move platforms after a ban.
- Platform Transfer (환승) 환승
- When a BJ moves their main activity from one platform to another, e.g. AfreecaTV/SOOP to PandaTV or CHZZK.
- Viewer Participation (시참) 시참
- "Viewer participation" — segments where viewers join the broadcast, e.g. taking song or dance requests.
- VOD / Replay (다시보기) 다시보기
- A recorded replay of a past live broadcast that viewers can watch after the stream ends.