The basic form of a name
Chapter 3, Article 4 states that a personal name is written surname first, then given name, separated by a space. The given name is in principle written as one word, but a hyphen (-) between syllables is permitted.
| Hangul | Principle | Permitted |
|---|---|---|
| 민용하 | Min Yongha | Min Yong-ha |
| 송나리 | Song Nari | Song Na-ri |
Three things to remember:
- Order: Keep the Korean order and write the surname first. If an English-language form asks for the given name first, just swap the order (Yongha Min). The converter's 'Order' option does this.
- Spacing: Put a space only between surname and given name. The two syllables of the given name are joined.
- Capitals: Only the first letter of the surname and of the given name is capitalized. With a hyphen, as in Yong-ha, the letter after the hyphen is lowercase (not Yong-Ha).
Sound changes are not reflected in names
Ordinary words are written as pronounced, but names are different. Article 4-1 states that sound changes occurring within a given name are not reflected in romanization.
| Hangul | Pronunciation | Roman |
|---|---|---|
| 한복남 | [한봉남] | Han Boknam (Han Bok-nam) |
| 홍빛나 | [홍빈나] | Hong Bitna (Hong Bit-na) |
If 복남 were written as pronounced, Bongnam, it could not be distinguished from the different name 봉남. A name is a unique marker of an individual, so the rule preserves the original form of each syllable. As a result, a given name is written by romanizing each syllable separately and joining them. Final consonants are still written with their representative sound, so 빛 is bit and 복 is bok.
The converter's 'Name' mode follows this rule and applies no liaison or assimilation between the syllables of a given name. Compare this with typing the same 한복남 in 'General' mode, which gives Hanbongnam (reflecting pronunciation) rather than Hanboknam.
When to use a hyphen
The hyphen is optional. But it is better to use one when syllable boundaries could be misread, as in these cases:
- 정은 → Jeongeun can also be read as Jeon+geun (전근). Jeong-eun is clear.
- 선이 → Seoni could be read as Seo+ni. Seon-i.
- 한결 → Hangyeol could also look like Hang+yeol. Han-gyeol.
When you enter a name like these, the converter shows a note recommending a hyphenated spelling. A spelling used on passports or school records must stay the same once chosen, so it is best to decide whether to use a hyphen at the very start.
Surnames are 'to be determined separately'
Article 4-2 only says that the romanization of surnames shall be determined separately. Following the romanization table gives 김 Gim, 이 I, 박 Bak, 최 Choe and 정 Jeong, but Kim, Lee, Park, Choi and Jung are far more widely used in practice. In 2009 the National Institute of Korean Language published a draft surname romanization (박 Bak, 이 Yi, etc.), but strong opposition kept it from being finalized, and no official surname spellings have been set to this day.
So the accurate view is that neither the rule-based spelling (Gim) nor the customary spelling (Kim) is wrong. The converter shows the rule-based spelling by default and offers common customary spellings alongside it. Typical examples:
- 김 Gim → Kim
- 이 I → Lee, Yi, Rhee
- 박 Bak → Park, Pak
- 최 Choe → Choi
- 정 Jeong → Jung, Chung
- 윤 Yun → Yoon · 임 Im → Lim · 오 O → Oh · 안 An → Ahn
The full list is in the Korean Surname Romanization Chart.
Two-syllable surnames
Two-syllable surnames such as 남궁, 황보, 제갈 and 선우 are written with both syllables joined. 남궁민수 → Namgung Minsu. When the boundary between surname and given name is unclear (for example, whether 선우용녀 is 선 + 우용녀), leave one space after the surname when typing the Hangul, and the converter treats the part before the space as the surname.
If you already use a spelling
Chapter 3, Article 7 states that personal names, company names, organization names and the like may keep the spelling they have been using. If you have already used a spelling on a passport, degree, paper or foreign bank account, using it consistently matters far more than switching to the rule-based spelling. If the spelling differs from document to document, proving that they all refer to the same person can take time.
Basis: Romanization of Korean, Chapter 3, Articles 4 and 7. Press reports on the National Institute of Korean Language's second draft surname romanization (2009, not finalized). Checked 2026-09-23.