noun
one's own country's citizens; fellow countrymen; compatriots
Refers to the people of one's own nation, often in contrast to foreigners or in contexts of national identity.
政府は自国民の安全を最優先すべきだ。
The government should prioritize the safety of its own citizens.
海外で自国民に会うとほっとする。
I feel relieved when I meet fellow countrymen abroad.
同胞 is a more formal or literary term for 'compatriots' or 'brethren', often with a stronger emotional or ethnic connotation.
Compound of 自 (self, own) + 国民 (citizens, people of a nation). The reading is the standard on'yomi combination.