局

Originally a compound ideograph:

尸 (body, enclosure) — representing a confined or limited space.

口 (mouth, opening) — indicating an enclosed room or unit.

Together, the character conveyed the idea of a restricted, bounded area. By extension, it came to signify a “game board” (a confined field of play), an “office/bureau” (a defined administrative division), and more generally a “situation or circumstance.”

Semantic range:

- a game board (as in Go, chess, or other strategy games);

- a bureau, office, or administrative department;

- a bounded space, compartment, room;

- a situation, position, or circumstance;

- measure word for games/matches (e.g., 제1국 = the first round/game).

국장 (局長) — bureau chief, director

경찰국 (警察局) — police bureau

중앙정보국 (中央情報局) — Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

국면 (局面) — situation, phase (esp. in games or affairs)

국세청 조사국 (局) — bureau/division within National Tax Service

제1국 (第一局) — the first round/game (in Go or chess)