인의 장막

Korean

Etymology

인(人) (in, “human”) +‎ 의 (-ui, genitive marker) +‎ 장막(帳幕) (jangmak, “curtain”). Probably by analogy with 철의 장막 (鐵의 帳幕, Cheor-ui jangmak, “Iron Curtain”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [inɰi t͡ɕa̠ŋma̠k̚] ~ [ine̞ t͡ɕa̠ŋma̠k̚]
• Phonetic hangul: [이늬 장막/이네 장막]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	inui jangmak
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	in'ui jangmag
McCune–Reischauer?	inŭi changmak
Yale Romanization?	in.uy cangmak

Noun

인의 장막 • (in-ui jangmak) (hanja 人의 帳幕) (idiomatic)

1. (literally) a human wall; a human barricade
   • 2015 April 15, “'어벤져스2' 경호원만 150명..공항부터 인의 장막 [eobenjeoseu2 gyeonghowonman 150myeong..gonghangbuteo inui jangmak]”, in Starnews‎^[1]:

     '어벤져스2' 측은 공항에 경호원을 100여명 이상 보내 물샐 틈 없는 인의 장막을 칠 계획이다.

     "Eobenjeoseu Tu" cheug-eun gonghang-e gyeonghowon-eul baeg-yeo myeong isang bonae mul sael teum eomneun in-ui jangmag-eul chil gyehoeg-ida.

     [The production company] behind Avengers: Age of Ultron plans to deploy over a hundred bodyguards at the airport to form an impervious human barricade.

2. (figuratively, politics) close aides and advisors who render a person oblivious to reality or different opinions (e.g. by falsely conveying popular sentiment so as not to upset their superior and jeopardize their privileged position as aide or advisor)
   • 1956 May 27, “重(중)要(요)政(정)策(책)엔 變(변)化(화)없다 [No changes in major policy]”, in The Dong-a Ilbo:

     大(대)統(통)領(령)은 『人(인)의帳(장)幕(막)』에 싸여있기때문에 民(민)情(정)을 잘모르고있다는 一(일)部(부)輿(여)論(론)이 있는데?

     Daetongnyeong-eun "in-ui jangmag"-e ssayeo itgi ttaemun-e minjeong-eul jal moreugo it-daneun ilbu yeoron-i in-neunde?

     Some say the president is unaware of public sentiment because he is surrounded by this “human curtain” [that tells him only what he wants to hear].

Synonyms

• 인의 장벽 (in-ui jangbyeok) (especially for the literal sense)