罰

Compound character:

网 (망, net) - to capture.

言 (언, speech) - to scold, admonish.

刀 (도, knife) - punishment by cutting, penalty.

Interpreted as “to catch (网) a wrongdoer, rebuke with words (言), and punish with the knife (刀).”

Another analysis: 詈 (려, to scold) = 网 + 言, combined with 刀 - “punishment.”

刑罰 (형벌) — criminal punishment

處罰 (처벌) — to punish, penalty

罰金 (벌금) — fine

天罰 (천벌) — divine punishment

無罰 (무벌) — without punishment

Strongly associated with legal or divine punishment in both historical and modern contexts.

Related to 벌금(罰金) in modern Korean, meaning monetary penalty.