skinship

Skinship means physical affection between people who are close: hugs, holding hands, linking arms, leaning on each other. It is common in Korean and Japanese, and in K-pop fandom it usually refers to members being affectionate with each other.

What does skinship mean?

Skinship looks like an English word, but it isn’t standard English. It is a blend of “skin” and “kinship” or “friendship” that is generally traced to Japan and is used widely in Korea as 스킨십. It covers everyday, non-sexual touch: friends holding hands, a parent cuddling a child, a couple walking arm in arm.

In K-pop, fans use it when members hug, piggyback, rest heads on shoulders or put arms around each other on stage and in videos. These moments are often compiled into fan edits and can fuel “shipping,” where fans imagine two members as a couple.

How to use it

• “The skinship in this group is off the charts. They’re always hugging.”
• “He’s shy at first but very big on skinship once you know him.”
• “Fans made a whole compilation of their skinship moments.”
• “Not everyone is comfortable with skinship, and that’s fine.”

Skinship in Korean culture

Same-sex friends in Korea often show more casual physical affection than is common in some Western countries, such as holding hands or linking arms, without it meaning anything romantic. That is part of why the word gets so much use. In dating, “skinship” can also describe how comfortable a couple is with physical closeness, which is why the word comes up in K-dramas, too.

Related terms

• ship: wanting two people to be a couple
• OTP: your favorite pairing
• fan service: things idols do to please fans
• aegyo: deliberately cute behavior
• bias: your favorite member

See more terms like this in our K-pop slang dictionary.