Korean · Culture & Society
전학생轉學生
jeonhaksaeng
Also written: transfer student; new student
A student who has transferred from another school.
Literal meaning
a student who transferred schools
Cultural context
A transfer student enters an established social environment without the history, alliances, and reputation already shared by classmates.
How dramas use it
The jeonhaksaeng becomes an outsider, disrupts an existing hierarchy, carries a hidden past, forms new friendships, or sees school dynamics that longtime students have normalized.
Usage & formality
Transfer student is precise. New student is broader and may also refer to someone entering the first year normally.