This is a highly offensive racial slur used to demean people of East Asian descent; it should never be used.
The origin is unclear and disputed; some trace it to Korean 'guk' (soup), but the exact derivation is unknown. It became a hateful slur particularly during WWII and Vietnam War, used by soldiers as dehumanizing language.
The history of slurs shows how language can be weaponized to justify cruelty—understanding where hateful words come from helps us recognize and reject the dehumanizing ideas they carry, making us more aware of power in words.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.