規

The character is originally a pictograph, modeled on a compass used for drawing circles (걸음쇠). Its earliest sense was the physical instrument, and from this core meaning arose extended senses such as “rule, regulation, norm, standard,” and figuratively “to devise, to plan.”

In modern Korean, 규 (規) is common in compounds relating to rules, norms, and standards:

규칙 (規則) – rule, regulation

규범 (規範) – model, norm

규격 (規格) – standard, specification

규정 (規定) – regulation, provision

법규 (法規) – laws, legal rules

규모 (規模) – scale, scope

Because the Korean reading 규 (規) sounds similar to certain colloquial words, it is sometimes used in wordplay and puns in contemporary culture.