What does 굴지 (屈指) literally mean?

 ANSWER: bending fingers

굴지 (屈指) literally means "bending (屈) fingers (指)" but translates as "counting on one's fingers." Why? Because instead of starting with a fist and opening one finger at a time to count, Koreans start with an open hand and "bend" closed one finger at a time.

굴지 also means "eminence" or "prominence." Why? Because we generally have only ten fingers, so if a person is counted among the top ten at what he or she does, that person is one of the best at what he or she does.

From Dong-A's Prime Korea-English Dictionary