Due to, As a result of, Amidst the commotion of
This expression is used when stating the situation or cause behind a negative result. In most cases, it is used when the following clause occurs in difficult or stressful situations or circumstances. It only attaches to verbs.
1. Imperative and propositive forms cannot be used in the following clause.
2. Because this expression is used when expressing the causes of negative results, it is awkward to use it to describe positive situations.
3. This expression is sometimes used directly after nouns, but such cases are limited to only a few nouns, such as 전쟁, 장마 and 난리.
4. While this expression is mainly used to describe things that happen during very distressing situations, it is also used to describe general situations behind negative results.
In Addition to -는 통에, there are other expressions, such as -는 탓에 and -는 바람에 which also express causes or reasons behind negative results. The differences between these three expressions are summarized below.