Romanization of Korean

1. Basic Principles for Transcription

(1) Romanization is based on standard Korean pronunciation.

(2) No symbols except Roman letters are used so far as possible.

2. Summary of the Transcription System

(1) Vowels are transcribed as follows:

□simple vowels

□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□
a	eo	o	u	eu	i	ae	e	oe	wi

□diphthongs

□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□
ya	yeo	yo	yu	yae	ye	wa	wae	wo	we	ui

Note 1: □□□ is transcribed as □ui□, although being pronounced as □□□.

Note 2: Long vowels are not reflected in transcription.

(2) Consonants are transcribed as follows:

□plosives(stops)

□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□
g, k	kk	k	d, t	tt	t	b, p	pp	p

□affricates

□	□	□
j	jj	ch

□fricatives

□	□	□
s	ss	h

□nasals

□	□	□
n	m	ng

□liquids

□

r, l

Note 1 : The sounds ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ are transcribed respectively as g, d, and b before a vowel; they are transcribed as k, t, and p when they appear before another consonant or as the last sound of a word.(They are transcribed as pronunciation in [  ].)

e.g.	구미 Gumi	영동 Yeongdong	백암 Baegam

옥천 Okcheon	합덕 Hapdeok	호법 Hobeop

월곶[월곧] Wolgot	벚꽃[벋꼳] beotkkot

한밭[한받] Hanbat

Note 2 : ㄹ is transcribed as r before a vowel, and as l before a consonant or at the end of a word: ㄹㄹ is transcribed as ll.

e.g.	구리 Guri	설악 Seorak	칠곡 Chilgok

임실 Imsil	울릉 Ulleung

대관령[대괄령] Daegwallyeong

3. Special Provisions for Transcription

(1) When Korean sound values change as in the following cases, the results of those changes are transcribed as follows:

1. The case of assimilation of adjacent consonants

e.g.   백마[뱅마] Baengm	신문로[신문노] Sinmunno

종로[종노] Jongno	왕십리[왕심니] Wangsimni

별내[별내] Byeollae	신라[실라] Silla

2. The case of the epenthetic ㄴ and ㄹ

e.g.	학여울[항녀울] Hangnyeoul	알약[알략] allyak

3. The case of palatalization

e.g.	해돋이 haedoji	같이[가치] gachi

맞히다[마치다] machida

4. The case when ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, and ㅈ are adjacent to ㅎ

e.g.	좋고[조코]  joko	놓다[노타] nota

잡혀[자펴]  japyeo	낳지[나치]  nachi

However, aspirated sounds are not transcribed in case of nouns  where □ follows □, □, and □, as in the examples below.

e.g.	묵호 Mukho	집현전 Jiphyeonjeon

Note: Tense (or glottalized) sounds are not transcribed in cases where the morphemes are compounded, as in the examples below.

e.g.	압구정 Apgujeong	낙동강 Nakdonggang

죽변 Jukbyeon	낙성대 Nakseongdae

합정 Hapjeong	팔당 Paldang

샛별 saetbyeol	울산 Ulsan

(2) When there is the possibility of confusion in pronunciation, a hyphen □-□ may be used.

e.g.	중앙 Jung-ang	반구대 Ban-gudae

세운 Se-un	해운대 Hae-undae

(3) The first letter is capitalized in proper names.

e.g.	부산 Busan	세종 Sejong

(4) Personal names are written by family name first, followed by a space and the given name. As a rule, syllables in given names are not seperated by hyphen, but it is admitted to use a hyphen between syllables. (Transcription in (  ) is permitted.)

e.g.	민용하 Min Yongha (Min Yong-ha)

송나리 Song Nari (Song Na-ri)

① Assimilated sound changes between syllables in given names are not transcribed.

e.g.	한복남 Han Boknam (Han Bok-nam)

홍빛나 Hong Bitna (Hong Bit-na)

② Transcriptions of family names will be established additionally.

(5) Administrative units such as 도, 시, 군, 구, 읍, 면, 리, 동, and 가 are transcribed respectively as do, si, gun, gu, eup, myeon, ri, dong, and ga, and are preceded by a hyphen. Assimilated sound changes before and after the hyphen are not transcribed.

e.g.	충청북도 Chungcheongbuk-do	제주도 Jeju-do

의정부시 Uijeongbu-si	양주군 Yangju-gun

도봉구 Dobong-gu	신창읍 Sinchang-eup

삼죽면 Samjuk-myeon	인왕리 Inwang-ri

당산동 Dangsan-dong	봉천1동 Bongcheon 1(il)-dong

종로 2가 Jongno 2(i)-ga

퇴계로 3가 Toegyero 3(sam)-ga

Note: Terms for administrative units such as 시, 군, 읍 may be omitted.

e.g.	청주시 Cheongju	함평군 Hampyeong

순창읍 Sunchang

(6) Names of geographic features, cultural properties, and man-made structures may be written without hyphens.

e.g.	남산 Namsan	속리산 Songnisan

금강 Geumgang	독도 Dokdo

경복궁 Gyeongbokgung	무량수전 Muryangsujeon

연화교 Yeonhwagyo	극락전 Geungnakjeon

안압지 Anapji	남한산성 Namhansanseong

화랑대 Hwarangdae	불국사 Bulguksa

현충사 Hyeonchungsa	독립문 Dongnimmun

오죽헌 Ojukeon	촉석루 Chokseongnu

종묘 Jongmyo	다보탑 Dabotap

(7) Proper names such as personal names and those of companies may be written as they have been so far.