Romanization of Korean: A Guide to Writing in Latin Characters #KoreanRomanization #KoreanCulture #VisitKorea

The romanization of Korean is essential for making the language more accessible internationally and for standardizing place names, personal names, and cultural sites. Below is an outline of the core principles of Korean romanization, along with special cases for more complex sounds.

1. Basic Principles of Romanization

1. Based on Standard Pronunciation: Korean romanization follows the standard Korean pronunciation, not merely the spelling in Hangul.
2. Only Roman Letters Used: Special symbols or pronunciation markers are avoided to keep the system simple and accessible.

2. Representation of Vowels and Consonants

Korean vowels and consonants each have specific representations in Latin characters, as shown in the tables below.

 

 

 

3. Special Rules for Romanization

1. Assimilation of Adjacent Consonants: When adjacent consonants assimilate, the romanization reflects these sound changes.
   • Example: 백마 is written as Baengma, 종로 is written as Jongno.
2. Insertion of ‘ㄴ’ or ‘ㄹ’ Sounds: Certain phonetic additions are reflected in romanization.
   • Example: 학여울 is romanized as Hangnyeoul, 알약 as allyak.
3. Palatalization and Aspiration: When a sound changes due to palatalization or aspiration, the romanization follows the pronunciation.
   • Example: 같이 is romanized as gachi, 굳히다 as guchida.

4. Place Names and Personal Names

Korean place names and personal names also follow specific romanization rules. Here are a few examples:

• Place Names: Administrative units like “do” or “si” are connected with a hyphen.
  • Example: 충청북도 is romanized as Chungcheongbuk-do, 의정부시 as Uijeongbu-si.
• Personal Names: Surnames come first, followed by the given name, and generally no hyphen is used between syllables (though this is permitted).
  • Example: 양소진 is romanized as Yang Sojin (or Yang So-jin).

5. Conclusion

Korean romanization might initially seem simple, but it includes complex rules for pronunciation and phonetic changes. Understanding this system can help you correctly read Korean place names, personal names, and cultural sites, making the Korean language and culture more accessible to everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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