Korean word

쿠데타

Pronunciation

Romanizationkudeta

Meaning

nouncoup

Example

뉴스에서 쿠데타가 일어났다고 들었어.nyu seu e seo ku de ta ga i reo nat tta go teu reo sseo

I heard on the news that there had been a coup.

More examples

군부가 쿠데타를 일으켰다는 소문이 퍼졌다.kun bu ga ku de ta reul i reu kyeot tta neun so mu ni peo jeot tta

A rumor spread that the military had staged a coup.

Core concept

Organized force abruptly removes a government and takes its place.

Common phrases

군사 쿠데타kun sa ku de ta
military coup
쿠데타를 일으키다ku de ta reul i reu ki da
stage a coup
쿠데타 시도ku de ta si do
coup attempt

Similar words

정변cheongbyeon: A sudden change at the heart of government brings a new ruling power.
혁명hyeongmyeong: A sweeping movement brings deep changes to a society's government and way of life.
반란pallan: A group uses organized force to resist government control.

Definition in Korean

무력이나 조직적 힘으로 정부의 지배를 갑자기 무너뜨리고 권력을 빼앗는 일mu ryeo gi na cho jik jjeok hi meu ro cheong bu ui chi bae reul kap jja gi mu neo tteu ri go kwol lyeo geul ppae an neun il

Word origin

This Korean word comes from the French phrase coup d'etat, which describes a sudden forceful seizure of state power.

Usage tips

For English-speaking learners, coup is a formal political word rather than a casual word for any protest or disagreement.

Opposites

민주주의minjujuuidemocracynoun
평화적 권력 이양pyeonghwajeok kwollyeok iyangpeaceful transfer of powernoun