기둥서방

Korean

Etymology

기둥 (gidung, “pillar, column (of a building)”) +‎ 서방(書房) (seobang, “husband, man”). Perhaps because a pimp watches out for the prostitute from a safe distance, i.e. leaning on a pillar?

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kiduŋsʰʌ̹ba̠ŋ]
Phonetic hangul: [기둥서방]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	gidungseobang
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	gidungseobang
McCune–Reischauer^?	kidungsŏbang
Yale Romanization^?	kitwungsepang

Noun

기둥서방 • (gidungseobang) (hanja 기둥書房)

(colloquial) pimp, hustler (procurer of prostitutes)
Synonyms: 포주(抱主) (poju), 기부(妓夫) (gibu)
(colloquial) unemployed man whose wife is the breadwinner