A South Korean lawmaker is calling on the country’s Ministry of National Defense to remove remnants of Japanese military terminology still in use within the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
According to documentation submitted by the ministry, numerous terms originating from the Imperial Japanese Army remain embedded in daily military language—decades after the end of colonial rule.
Rep. Hwang Hee, a member of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee and a legislator from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said the continued use of outdated Japanese-origin words and military expressions has broader social and cultural implications.
In a review of terminology provided by the defense ministry, Hwang highlighted words such as “kara” (fake), “penki” (camouflage or deception), “shimai” (end or dismissal), and “kusari” (rebuke)—all of which were commonly used in the Japanese military and adopted into the South Korean military during its early formation period. These expressions, along with others like “bunpai” (distribution) and “narashi” (leveling or smoothing), are believed to have been passed down from Japanese-trained officers during the post-World War II transition.
In addition, several Japanese-style Sino-Korean compound terms remain prevalent in official and operational military language. These include words such as “tenko” (roll call), “kuho” (double-time or fast march), “kosan” (senior personnel), and “zampan” (leftover food). The National Institute of the Korean Language has recommended replacing these terms with standardized Korean alternatives, including expressions for “personnel check,” “running,” “senior soldier,” and “leftover rations.”
Hwang also pointed to the widespread use of military slang and coded expressions that are disconnected from formal Korean. Common examples cited include “kalkari” (itchy inner lining of winter clothing), “tenbo” (easy duty), “malnyeon” (soldier nearing discharge), and “chamchi” (new recruit).
In a statement, Hwang said: “Young men who complete their military service return to society, so the purification of military language directly connects to broader improvements in national language culture. The Ministry of National Defense must take steps to organize and eliminate Japanese-style terminology and slang within the military environment.”
Language reform in the South Korean military has been a long-standing issue, often tied to efforts aimed at decolonization and the modernization of institutional culture.
The South Korean military was established in the aftermath of liberation from Japan’s occupation, and many of its early instructors and frameworks were influenced by Japanese doctrine.