Nuance Dictionary / Culture & Language
군필 gun-pil
A baseline status credential on job applications confirming the fulfillment of mandatory military service.
What does 군필 mean?
군필 (gun-pil) means: A baseline status credential on job applications confirming the fulfillment of mandatory military service.
Textbooks teach you the literal breakdown of military-service-completed, but natives use this as a shorthand gatekeeping filter in professional life. It signals to employers that you have checked a mandatory societal box, neutralized a major life interruption, and can finally enter the workforce on equal footing. If you don't have this status as a male applicant in Korea, the burden of proof shifts immediately.
Other sides of 군필
◆ The Relief Badge — When young Korean men talk amongst themselves, '군필' isn't just a status update; it is an exhalation of pure relief. It signals that the heavy, two-year state-mandated weight has been lifted, marking their entry into a fraternity of civilian freedom and hard-earned maturity. Learners often mistake it for a dry administrative label, missing the quiet swagger and weightless giddiness of a guy who no longer has to look at a calendar with dread.
How it's actually used
- 지원자격은 군필 또는 면제자로 제한합니다.
ji-won-ja-gyeog-eun gun-pil tto-neun myeon-je-ja-ro je-han-ham-ni-da.
Applicant eligibility is restricted to those who have completed military service or been exempted.
💡 The standard HR boilerplate phrasing found on virtually every major corporate job posting. - 요즘 신입사원들은 다 군필이라 그런지 적응이 빨라.
yo-jeum sin-ip-sa-won-deul-eun da gun-pil-i-ra geureon-ji jeok-eung-i ppalla.
Maybe because the new hires have all done their service these days, they adapt fast.
💡 Used by older colleagues to casually generalize a baseline level of social maturity and resilience. - 이번 지원 자격 요건이 어떻게 돼요? — 일단 군필이어야 지원할 수 있어요.
ibeon jiwon jagyeok yogeoni eotteoke dwaeyo? — ildan gunpirieoya jiwonhal su isseoyo.
What are the qualification requirements for this application? — First of all, you have to be a military service veteran to apply.
💡 Used as a strict baseline credential in formal or professional contexts.
Related words in Culture & Language
귀가 가렵다 Gwiga garyeopda한잔 하다 Hanjan hada힐링 hil-ling회식 hoe-sik홈트 hom-teu