공고하다

The word 공고하다 is a formal verb that sits right at the intersection of communication and administration. When you see this word, you are likely looking at a public notice, a job posting, or a legal announcement.

Essentially, it is about making sure that information is publicly available. Unlike a casual conversation, 공고하다 implies a structured, official process where the information is meant to be viewed by many people at once.

If you imagine a town square where someone nails a decree to a wooden post, that is the essence of 공고하다. Today, we mostly see it on websites or bulletin boards, but the spirit of the word remains the same: a clear, authoritative notification for the public.

The word 공고하다 is rooted in Sino-Korean characters (Hanja). Specifically, it is composed of 公 (public) and 告 (to announce/inform).

Historically, this reflects the Confucian administrative tradition where the government or local officials had a duty to 'make public' (公) their 'announcements' (告) to the people. This ensured that the citizenry was aware of new laws, tax changes, or upcoming festivals.

Over centuries, the word evolved from physical proclamations in the village square to the modern digital notices we see on company portals today. It has maintained its formal register throughout its history, always signaling that the information provided is official and carries weight.

You will mostly encounter 공고하다 in professional or academic settings. It is rarely used in casual, daily chatter between friends.

Commonly, you will see it paired with nouns like 채용 공고 (job opening notice) or 합격자 공고 (announcement of successful candidates). These collocations define its primary use: informing people about status changes or opportunities.

Because it is a formal verb, it is almost always used in writing—think emails, official website headers, or printed placards. If you are writing a report or a business letter, this is the perfect word to use to describe the act of releasing information to the public.

While 공고하다 itself is a formal verb rather than an idiomatic phrase, it appears in several standard administrative expressions:

• 공고를 내다 (To issue a notice): The standard way to say you are starting the process of announcing something.
• 공고 기간 (Notice period): The specific time frame during which a notice is active.
• 추가 공고 (Additional notice): Used when a previous announcement needs an update or correction.
• 긴급 공고 (Urgent notice): Used when information must be disseminated immediately.
• 공고문 (Notice text): The actual document or text that contains the announcement.

Grammatically, 공고하다 functions as a regular verb. In Korean, you can conjugate it into the past tense (공고했다) or the future tense (공고할 것이다) depending on when the notice was or will be made.

The pronunciation is straightforward: [공고하다]. The stress is fairly even, though the '공' (gong) often carries a slightly stronger emphasis as it is the start of the word.

It rhymes with words like 통고하다 (to notify) or 광고하다 (to advertise). When using it, remember that it is a transitive verb, meaning it usually takes an object—you are announcing something (e.g., 채용을 공고하다).