국룰

Gukrul (국룰): Pronounced "Gook-rool" (like "book" + "cool").

The term "Gukrul" first appeared around 2009-2010 in 'Fight of Characters,' a popular custom map for Warcraft 3. However, it wasn't widely used with its current meaning at the time. Later, in the FPS game 'AVA Online,' it became common within the gaming community, referring to specific game rules like 'Knife-only Gukrul' or 'Long-range Sniper Gukrul.' It began to spread more widely among the general public around 2017 through 'Auction Defense,' a StarCraft custom map popular among Twitch streamers. Online, it gained significant traction as a new slang term around 2020.

'Gukrul' is a portmanteau of 'Gungmin Rule' (National Rule), referring to an action that is customarily considered an unwritten rule or is widely popular. It's sometimes used to mean common sense that everyone acknowledges, and even mainstream media refers to it as 'Gungmin Rule.' It's a trending term with a strong humorous nuance rather than a serious one, referring to implicit rules or actions that are not officially defined but are universally accepted or popular. Especially in gaming, 'Gukrul' can refer to the most efficient known method, or an action that, while having no special meaning, is followed by many or must be followed to be accepted. In essence, it's a semi-joking unwritten rule itself.

It is actively used primarily by those who enjoy online communities and games, and it is also a familiar expression to internet broadcast viewers. It is not limited to a specific age group or gender, but is widely used by the general population who enjoy online culture.

• "It's Gukrul for the first day of a new semester to just have orientation and then end."
• "Isn't it Gukrul that if you order chicken at this hour, you get a free coke?"
• (Jokingly) "They say it's Gukrul for mosquitoes to avoid biting people's faces."

'Gukrul' is primarily used in humorous contexts, so it's best to use it when most people can recognize it as a joke. Be careful, as claiming something is 'Gukrul' when it's not actually a universal rule can lead to arguments.