Korean writing systems
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Transcription
Transliteration

Romanization of Korean is the official Korean-language romanization system in North Korea. Announced by the Sahoe Kwahagwŏn, it is an adaptation of the older McCune–Reischauer system, which it replaced in 1992,[1][2] and it was updated in 2002[2][3] and 2012.[4]

Transcription rules

Vowels

Hangul ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ ㅐ ㅒ ㅔ ㅖ ㅚ ㅟ ㅢ ㅘ ㅝ ㅙ ㅞ
Romanization a ya ŏ yŏ o yo u yu ŭ i ae yae e ye oi[a] wi ŭi wa wŏ wae we

Consonants

Hangul ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ ㅇ
Romanization Initial k n t r m p s j ch kh th ph h kk tt pp ss jj –
Final l t t t k t p t k – – t – ng
  • 닭섬 → Taksŏm
  • 물곬 → Mulkol
  • 붉은바위 → Pulgŭnbawi
  • 앉은바위 → Anjŭnbawi
  • 백마산 → Paengmasan
  • 꽃마을 → KKonmaŭl
  • 압록강 → Amrokgang
  • 기대산 → Kittaesan
  • 새별읍 → Saeppyŏl-ŭp
  • 뒤문 → Twinmun
  • 천리마 → Chŏllima
  • 한나산 → Hallasan
  • 찔레골 → JJilregol

Guide

A personal name is written by family name first, followed by a space and the given name with the first letter capitalized. Also, each letter of a name of Chinese character origin is written separately. The given name's first initial is transcribed in a voiceless letter, even when it becomes resonant in pronunciation.

However, it is not really possible to follow this rule because a certain name written in hangul can be a native Korean name, or a Sino-Korean name, or even both. For example, 보람 can not only be a native Korean name,[6] but can also be a Sino-Korean name (e.g. 寶濫).[7] In some cases, parents intend a dual meaning: both the meaning from a native Korean word and the meaning from hanja.

A name for administrative units is hyphenated from the placename proper:

However, a name for geographic features and artificial structures is not hyphenated:

Sound changes are not transcribed in the suffixes above:

Transcription of geographical names may be simplified by removing breves and by reducing initial double consonants to single consonants:

Notes

  1. ^ The 1992 version used oe instead;[1] Rodong Sinmun still uses oe as of 2022.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Working Paper No. 46" (PDF). UNGEGN. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  2. ^ a b "Updates to the report on the current status of United Nations romanization systems for geographical names" (PDF). UNGEGN. Retrieved 2018-03-17. In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea there is a national system adopted in 1992 and presented to the 17th session of UNGEGN in 1994, updated version was published in 200220.
  3. ^ "E/CONF.94/INF.72 - Guideline for the Romanization of Korean" (PDF). UNGEGN. 2002-08-26. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  4. ^ "E/CONF.101/CRP15 - The Rules of Latin Alphabetic Transcription of Korean Language" (PDF). UNGEGN. 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  5. ^ "Choe Ryong Hae Inspects Different Units of South Phyongan Province". Rodong Sinmun. 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  6. ^ "김보람(金보람)". 한국법조인대관 [List of Legal Professionals in Korea] (in Korean). 법률신문 (The Law Times). Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  7. ^ "강보람(姜寶濫)". 한국법조인대관 [List of Legal Professionals in Korea] (in Korean). 법률신문 (The Law Times). Retrieved 2023-08-15.
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