guk

Guk, written 국 in Hangul, is a Korean term with two primary meanings. In everyday culinary use, guk refers to soup or broth. In Sino-Korean vocabulary, guk also denotes a nation or country and appears in compounds such as Hanguk (Korea), where the character 國 is read guk.

In Korean cuisine, guk describes a range of hot, broth-based dishes. The broth can be clear or slightly cloudy and is often made from beef, pork, seafood, or vegetables. Common seasonings include garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili pepper. Dishes labeled as guk are typically served as a main or side component of a meal, frequently alongside rice and banchan. The boundary between guk and tang (a thicker, sometimes heartier soup) is not rigid, and both terms may be used variably in different regional or household traditions.

Common varieties include miyeok guk (seaweed soup), ddeok guk (rice cake soup), kimchi guk (kimchi soup), and doenjang guk (soybean paste soup). Ddeok guk is especially associated with the Lunar New Year in Korea, where it is eaten for luck and prosperity. Miyeok guk is widely prepared as a comforting daily dish and features in various traditional contexts, including postpartum meals in some households.

Outside the kitchen, guk also appears in place names and in terms related to nations or regions due to its Sino-Korean origin, where the same syllable 국 is used with different hanja readings to convey distinct meanings.