Korean Team Dividing Chants: Why Every City Has a Different Rule
Introduction
If you ever watch a group of Korean kids—or even adults—getting ready to play a team game, you will notice a very specific ritual. Instead of drawing straws or doing "rock, paper, scissors," they gather in a circle, stick out their hands, and chant a rhythmic phrase while flipping their palms up or down. This is the Korean team dividing chant, and it is one of the most fascinating cultural quirks you will encounter.
What makes this ritual truly unique is that there is no single, unified chant. If you travel across Korea, you will find that almost every region, city, and sometimes even neighborhood has its own distinct phrase. In Seoul, people might shout "Dedenchi!" or "Upeora dwijibeora!" (Flip it or turn it over), while someone from Busan might yell something completely different. It is a shared childhood memory for every Korean, yet it serves as an instant indicator of where they grew up.
This simple game of flipping hands reveals a lot about local dialects and the way playground culture spread before the internet era. Whether you are a fan of Korean variety shows or just curious about everyday life, understanding this hand-flipping game gives you a deeper look into the localized nature of Korean culture.
Why is this uniquely Korean?
The core mechanic of the team dividing game is universal: players stick out their hands and on the final beat of the chant, they either show their palm or the back of their hand. Those showing palms form one team, and those showing the backs form another. However, the linguistic diversity surrounding this simple action is what makes it uniquely Korean.
In the Seoul and Gyeonggi-do area, the most famous chant is "Dedenchi" (데덴찌). Interestingly, linguists and cultural historians suggest that "Dedenchi" comes from the Japanese phrase "Tetenchi" (手天地), meaning "hand, heaven, and earth." This reflects a period in history when Japanese terms influenced local street games. But as you move away from the capital, the Japanese influence fades, and pure Korean expressions or regional dialects take over.
For instance, in the Chungcheong-do province, you might hear "Apdwi-ppong" (앞뒤뽕), a cute and straightforward phrase meaning "front and back, ta-da!" In the Jeolla-do province, the chants are surprisingly long and musical, almost like a folk song. Kids in Gwangju chant "Pyeon-ppopgi pyeon-ppopgi janggkiseyo al-koreuseyo," adding a rhythmic, chanting quality to the game. Meanwhile, down in the Gyeongsang-do region (like Busan and Daegu), the chants are short, punchy, and aggressive, such as "Jendi dendi mukjji" or "Dendi-shindi."
Unlike the West, where schoolyard games often have standardized rhymes that cross state lines, the Korean team dividing chant evolved in complete isolation within different neighborhoods. It is not uncommon for two Koreans from different cities to meet in college, try to divide into teams, and end up completely baffled by each other's chants. This hyper-localized tradition is a testament to how strongly regional identities are preserved in everyday Korean life.
Practical Tips / How to Experience It
If you want to witness or even participate in this cultural phenomenon, you do not need to look far. The team dividing chant is not just for kids; it is frequently used by adults when splitting teams for a quick game of basketball, choosing who pays for coffee, or deciding teams in a local PC bang (internet cafe) tournament.
1. Learn the Seoul Standard If you are visiting Korea and find yourself needing to divide into teams, the safest bet is to use the Seoul standard. Simply put your hand out and chant, "Upeora dwijibeora!" (엎어라 뒤집어라 - Flip it or turn it over). On the last syllable, make sure your hand is either palm-up or palm-down.
2. Watch Korean Variety Shows If you want to see this in action without leaving your house, shows like Running Man, Going Seventeen, or Earth Arcade are perfect. You will often see cast members struggling to synchronize their chants because they all hail from different hometowns. It is a running joke on Korean television when celebrities realize their chants do not match.
3. The "No Complaining" Rule There is one universal rule attached to these chants across all regions: you cannot back out. Many regions add a specific closing phrase to the chant, such as "Jjollyeodo hanpan" (쫄려도 한판 - Even if you're scared, it's just one round) or "Jjollyeodo moreugi" (쫄려도 모르기 - No take-backs even if you're nervous). Once the hands are flipped and the teams are decided, the results are final.