ㅋ

The Hunmin Jeongeum Haerye, the treatise introducing the principles behind the Korean alphabet written by its inventor King Sejong in 1446, explains that this glyph was derived by adding a stroke to ㄱ (g) to represent aspiration.

• IPA^(key): /kʰ/
• Actual realisation:

  (word-initially, between vowels, or after nasals and liquids) IPA^(key): [kʰ]

  (after stops) IPA^(key): [k͈]

  (before stops, or word-finally) IPA^(key): [k̚]

  (before nasals) IPA^(key): [ŋ]

ㅋ • (k)

1. 키읔 (kieuk), a jamo (letter) of Hangul, the Korean alphabet.

In contemporary Korean, when ㅋ (k) is placed on the side, it curves as in the example of 키 (ki), 케찹 (kechap). However, when ㅋ (k) is placed on top or bottom, it retains its original look, as in the examples of 코 (ko), 콩 (kong), 코카콜라 (kokakolla), 녘 (nyeok). This was done in the modern era to make the character look more balanced. This rule is also applied to ㄱ (g).

• K

Because the letter k repeated sounds like a person laughing, putting ㅋ (k) in a consecutive manner stands for laughing in the Korean Internet media. Compare Portuguese kkk.

ㅋ • (k)

1. (Internet slang) lol, ha! (typically dismissive)

• ㅋㅋ (kk)
• ㅋㅋㅋ (kkk)