stratagem of sowing discord in the enemy camp through sedition
A yojijukugo referring to a specific military or political tactic: using spies, rumors, or betrayal to create internal conflict among opponents. Rare in everyday conversation; mostly encountered in historical or strategic contexts.
Sun Tzu's Art of War discusses the stratagem of causing internal strife in the enemy camp.
離間 is a general term for estrangement or alienation, while 反間苦肉 specifically denotes a deliberate stratagem using sedition to weaken an enemy.
A yojijukugo combining 反間 (using enemy spies or sowing discord) and 苦肉 (bitter flesh, suggesting a painful or desperate measure). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is associated with classical Chinese military strategy.