判事
판사
判 (to judge) + 事 (matter)
📖 Origin of the Hanja
The hanja "判" depicts a knife (刂) cutting in half (半) — discerning right from wrong. 判事 = "one who judges matters". The Joseon equivalent was "判義禁府事". The modern title arrived after the 1894 Gabo Reform alongside the Japanese-modeled judiciary.
"判事 seeks clarity like a blade halving — bearing the weight of decisions."
