城

Phono-semantic compound:

土 (흙 토) — semantic: refers to earth or soil, indicating the material originally used;

成 (이룰 성) — phonetic component.

Originally, 城 referred to walls or ramparts made of earth, constructed for defense. Over time, as materials evolved to stone or wood, the term still applied to fortified structures, and later extended to cities (which often developed within or around a fortress).

In Korean history, 한성 (漢城) referred to both the Hanyang city walls and the urban area inside.

In modern Chinese, 城 strongly overlaps with the English word “city.”

For example:

디지털미디어시티 (Digital Media City) - 数码媒体城;

송도국제도시 (Songdo International City) - 松島国际城;

파라다이스시티 (Paradise City) - 百乐达斯城;