■ The Romanization of Korean

(Ministry of Culture and Tourism proclamation No. 2000-8)

1. Basic Principles of Romanization

(1) Romanization is based on standard Korean pronunciation.

(2) Symbols other than Roman letters are avoided to the greatest extent possible.

2. Summary of the Romanization System

(1) Vowels are transcribed as follows:

·simple vowels

ㅏ	ㅓ	ㅗ	ㅜ	ㅡ	ㅣ	ㅐ	ㅔ	ㅚ	ㅟ
a	eo	o	u	eu	i	ae	e	oe	wi

·diphthongs

ㅑ	ㅕ	ㅛ	ㅠ	ㅒ	ㅖ	ㅘ	ㅙ	ㅝ	ㅞ	ㅢ
ya	yeo	yo	yu	yae	ye	wa	wae	wo	we	ui

Note 1 : ㅢ is transcribed as ui, even when pronounced as ㅣ.

Note 2 : Long vowels are not reflected in Romanization.

(2) Consonants are transcribed as follows:

·plosives(stops)

ㄱ	ㄲ	ㅋ	ㄷ	ㄸ	ㅌ	ㅂ	ㅃ	ㅍ
g, k	kk	k	d, t	tt	t	b, p	pp	p

·affricates                       ·fricatives

ㅈ	ㅉ	ㅊ
j	jj	ch

ㅅ	ㅆ	ㅎ
s	ss	h

·nasals                           ·liquids

ㄴ	ㅁ	ㅇ
n	m	ng

ㄹ

r, l

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

e.g.

구미 Gumi 백암 Baegam 합덕 Hapdeok 월곶[월곧] Wolgot 한밭[한받] Hanbat	영동 Yeongdong 옥천 Okcheon 호법 Hobeop 벚꽃[벋꼳] beotkkot

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

e.g.

구리 Guri 칠곡 Chilgok 울릉 Ulleung	설악 Seorak 임실 Imsil 대관령[대괄령] Daegwallyeong

3. Special Provisions for Romanization

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

1. The case of assimilation of adjacent consonants

e.g.

백마[뱅마] Baengma 종로[종노] Jongno 별내[별래] Byeollae	신문로[신문노] Sinmunno 왕십리[왕심니] Wangsimni 신라[실라] Silla

2. The case of the epenthetic ㄴ and ㄹ

e.g.

학여울[항녀울] Hangnyeoul	알약[알략] allyak

3. Cases of palatalization

e.g.

해돋이[해도지] haedoji 맞히다[마치다] machida	같이[가치] gachi

4. Cases where ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, and ㅈ are adjacent to ㅎ

e.g.

좋고[조코] joko 잡혀[자펴] japyeo	놓다[노타] nota 낳지[나치] nachi

However, aspirated sounds are not reflected in case of nouns where ㅎ follows ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ, as in the examples below.

e.g.

묵호 Mukho	집현전 Jiphyeonjeon

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

e.g.

압구정 Apgujeong 죽변 Jukbyeon 합정 Hapjeong 샛별 saetbyeol	낙동강 Nakdonggang 낙성대 Nakseongdae 팔당 Paldang 울산 Ulsan

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

e.g.

중앙 Jung-ang 세운 Se-un	반구대 Ban-gudae 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.  In principle, syllables in given names are not separated by hyphen, but the use of a hyphen between syllables 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 Romanization of family names will be determined separately.

(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 reflected in Romanization.

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

봉천 1동	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 순창읍 Sunchang	함평군 Hampyeong

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

e.g.

남산 Namsan 금강 Geumgang 경복궁 Gyeongbokgung 연화교 Yeonhwagyo 안압지 Anapji 화랑대 Hwarangdae 현충사 Hyeonchungsa 오죽헌 Ojukheon 종묘 Jongmyo	속리산 Songnisan 독도 Dokdo 무량수전 Muryangsujeon 극락전 Geungnakjeon 남한산성 Namhansanseong 불국사 Bulguksa 독립문 Dongnimmun 촉석루 Chokseongnu 다보탑 Dabotap

(7) Proper names such as personal names and those of companies may continue to be written as they have been previously.

(8) When it is necessary to convert Romanized Korean back to Hangeul in special cases such as in academic articles, Romanization is done according to Hangeul spelling and not pronunciation. Each Hangeul letter is Romanized as explained in section 2 except that ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ and ㄹ are always written as g, d, b  and l. When ㅇ has no sound value, it is replaced by a hyphen.  It may also be used when it is necessary to distinguish between syllables.

e.g.

집 jib 밖 bakk 붓꽃 buskkoch 독립 doglib 물엿 mul-yeos 좋다 johda 조랑말 jolangmal	짚 jip 값 gabs 먹는 meogneun 문리 munli 굳이 gud-i 가곡 gagog 없었습니다 eobs-eoss-seubnida