警察
경찰
警 (to alert) + 察 (to observe)
📖 Origin of the Hanja
The hanja "警" combines respect (敬) with speech (言) — to alert with reverence. "察" depicts thorough inspection within a house (宀). 警察 = "those who alert and observe". Modern Korean police began with the Gyeongmucheong (警務廳) of the 1894 Gabo Reform.
"警察 = alertness and observation — what is not seen cannot be guarded."
