Etymology: Inyeon, Sino-Korean, from the Chinese yinyuán, meaning “change,” “opportunity,” “fate” or “destiny,” which in turn derives from the Sanskrit hetu-pratyaya—“causes and conditions”—a concept in ancient Buddhist philosophy.

Meaning: It’s hard to pin down a definition that conveys every nuance of inyeon. In a broad sense, it can mean fate or destiny, but it can also be understood as karmic affinity or cause and effect. In Celine Song’s 2023 film, Past Lives, it’s described as the idea that people are destined to cross paths because they shared something in a previous life.

In the film, Nora, played by Greta Lee, suggests that inyeon is just “something Koreans say to seduce someone.” But the word doesn’t necessarily have romantic connotations or mean you believe in reincarnation. For example, you might hear a Korean say, “It must be inyeon,” when they run into someone they know at the post office.¹ 

There’s an old Korean proverb that says, “It’s inyeon even if your clothes brush.” In other words, even a passing, seemingly random encounter with a stranger is the product of fate. The concept is often symbolized as a red thread that ties two souls together. This thread, woven by an ancestral spirit, will connect you to all of the people you’re meant to meet in your lifetime, ending finally at the pinkie finger of the person you’re supposed to love forever. 

It’s important to note that the thread isn’t foolproof. Over time, it might become loose or even fall off if you ignore those who are tied to you. But if you are lucky enough to make it all the way to the end and find your soulmate, it’s because you have been slowly working your way to each other over thousands of lifetimes—Koreans would say 8,000 lifetimes, to be exact.

So the next time you’re at the grocery store and happen to run into that one person you’ve been trying to avoid, just know that it’s not a stroke of bad luck. It’s inyeon.