A Korean Word in the Hungarian slang: kojedo

Abstract

Kojedo 巨濟島 is a Korean island near Pusan 釜山, where during the Korean war (1950–1953) a prison camp was established by UN Forces for North Korean and Chinese prisoners of war. This camp in the communist propaganda became a symbol of cruelty and barbarism something like Auschwitz. This is the reason why in the Hungarian military slang this word has a pejorative meaning, e. g. ’inhuman treatment in military barracks’, or ’a building of barracks of bad reputation’. The civil people have also used the word: it may indicate a low level student hostel, a slum, a labor camp in 50s, a bad treatment, an unpleasant or awkward situation, an unpleasant consequence, etc. Few people know the original meaning (etymology) of this word.