高麗棒子

The full term is a compound of 高麗 and the slur 棒子.

A pejorative ethnonym “(Korean) person” likely arose via folk reanalysis and sound substitution from terms for attendants/menials:

• Compare 房子 (fángzi) “attendant; service staff” as used in Goryeo/Joseon for embassy/palace service:

房子，使館之給役者也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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房子，使馆之给役者也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 宣和奉使高麗圖經

Fángzǐ, shǐguǎn zhī jǐyì zhě yě. [Pinyin]

‘Fangzi’ are the attendants provided by the envoys’ guesthouse.

房子者，侍女之婢也。 [Korean Literary Sinitic, trad.]

From: 朝鮮王朝實錄

A ‘fangzi’ is the maidservant of a lady‑in‑waiting.

• Also compare 幫子／帮子 (bāngzi) “helper; runner”:

貴邦(朝鮮)水兵，作爲天兵幫子，互相倚勢，則庶幾有所恃矣。 [Korean Literary Sinitic, trad.]

From: 朝鮮王朝實錄

If the sailors of your country (Joseon) serve as helpers to the ‘Heavenly Troops’ (the Ming army) and support one another, they might thereby have something to rely on.

These orally similar forms (bang‑) were later written as 棒子 (bàngzi)—perhaps partly due to sound confusion with 幫子／帮子 (bāngzi)/房子 (fángzi)—and then extended from “Korean attendants” to a general slur for Koreans. Early written attestations include 《遼左見聞錄》(1722) :

朝鮮貢使從者之外，其奔走服役者謂之「棒子」。其國婦女有淫行，即没入為官妓，所生之子曰「棒子」，不齒於齊民。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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朝鲜贡使从者之外，其奔走服役者谓之「棒子」。其国妇女有淫行，即没入为官妓，所生之子曰「棒子」，不齿于齐民。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

Cháoxiān gòngshǐ cóngzhě zhī wài, qí bēnzǒu fúyì zhě wèi zhī “bàngzǐ”. Qí guó fùnǚ yǒu yínxíng, jí méirù wèi guānjì, suǒ shēng zhī zǐ yuē “bàngzǐ”, bùchǐ yú qímín. [Pinyin]

Apart from the envoys’ retainers, those who run errands and perform service are called ‘bangzi’. Women in that country who commit sexual misconduct are confiscated and made government courtesans; the children they bear are called ‘bangzi’ and are despised by the common people.

and 《皇清職貢圖》(1761):

朝鮮國民，人俗呼為高麗棒子。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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朝鲜国民，人俗呼为高丽棒子。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

Cháoxiān guómín, rén sú hū wéi Gāolí bàngzǐ. [Pinyin]

The people of the Kingdom of Joseon are colloquially called ‘Gaoli bangzi’.

高麗棒子

1. (slang, derogatory, ethnic slur, offensive) Korean; kimchi (person)

• 韓棒子／韩棒子 (Hánbàngzi)