Romanization of Korean (North Korean system)
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,[1] which it replaced in 1992,[2][3] and it was updated in 2002[3][4] and 2012.[5]
Transcription rules
editHangul | 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 |
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 |
- In double consonants in the end of a word or before a consonant, only one of them is written:[5]: 5
- 닭섬 → Taksŏm
- 물곬 → Mulkol
- However, in the case before a vowel, both consonants are written:[5]: 5
- 붉은바위 → Pulgŭnbawi
- 앉은바위 → Anjŭnbawi
- The soft voiceless consonants between vowels ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ and those between resonant sounds and vowels are transcribed as g, d, and b.[5]: 4
- Final consonants may undergo assimilation before resonants.[5]: 5–6
- 백마산 → Paengmasan
- 꽃마을 → KKonmaŭl
- 압록강 → Amrokgang
- When lax consonants become tense in compound words, they are transcribed as tense consonants if they are preceded by a vowel. Also, if the next element begins with a resonant, then n is added before it.[5]: 6
- 기대산 → Kittaesan
- 새별읍 → Saeppyŏl-ŭp
- 뒤문 → Twinmun
- The consonant clusters ㄴㄹ and ㄴㄴ are only transcribed as ll if they correspond with longstanding usage; ㄹㄹ does not have a special transcription.[5]: 6, 8
- 천리마 → Chŏllima
- 한나산 → Hallasan
- 찔레골 → JJilregol
- Double consonants may be capitalized as a single unit: kk → KK.[5]: 5–6
Guide
editA 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.[5]: 7–8
- 김꽃분이 → Kim KKotpuni
- 박동구 → Pak Tong Gu
- 안복철 → An Pok Chŏl
However, it is not really possible to follow this rule[original research] 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,[7] but can also be a Sino-Korean name (e.g. 寶濫).[8] 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:[5]: 7
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However, a name for geographic features and artificial structures is not hyphenated:[5]: 7
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Sound changes are not transcribed in the suffixes above:[5]: 4–5
- 삿갓봉 → Satkatbong
- 압록강 → Amrokgang
Transcription of geographical names may be simplified by removing breves and by reducing initial double consonants to single consonants:[5]: 8
- 서포 → Sŏpho → Sopho
- 찔레골 → JJilregol → Jilregol
Notes
edit- ^ The 1992 version used oe instead;[2] Rodong Sinmun still uses oe as of 2022.[6]
References
edit- ^ The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff (2024). The Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed.). University of Chicago Press. 11.95. ISBN 9780226817972.
- ^ a b "Working Paper No. 46" (PDF). UNGEGN. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "E/CONF.94/INF.72 - Guideline for the Romanization of Korean" (PDF). UNGEGN. 2002-08-26. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "E/CONF.101/CRP15 - The Rules of Latin Alphabetic Transcription of Korean Language" (PDF). UNGEGN. 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ "Choe Ryong Hae Inspects Different Units of South Phyongan Province". Rodong Sinmun. 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ 김보람(金보람). 한국법조인대관 [List of Legal Professionals in Korea] (in Korean). 법률신문 (The Law Times). Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ 강보람(姜寶濫). 한국법조인대관 [List of Legal Professionals in Korea] (in Korean). 법률신문 (The Law Times). Retrieved 2023-08-15.