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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

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Vowels[5]: 3 
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[5]: 3–4 
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

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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.[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 

However, a name for geographic features and artificial structures is not hyphenated:[5]: 7 

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

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  1. ^ The 1992 version used oe instead;[2] Rodong Sinmun still uses oe as of 2022.[6]

References

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  1. ^ The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff (2024). The Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed.). University of Chicago Press. 11.95. ISBN 9780226817972.
  2. ^ a b "Working Paper No. 46" (PDF). UNGEGN. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "E/CONF.94/INF.72 - Guideline for the Romanization of Korean" (PDF). UNGEGN. 2002-08-26. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Choe Ryong Hae Inspects Different Units of South Phyongan Province". Rodong Sinmun. 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  7. ^ 김보람(金보람). 한국법조인대관 [List of Legal Professionals in Korea] (in Korean). 법률신문 (The Law Times). Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  8. ^ 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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