Romanization of Korean Guides
Explanations of the regulation using real names and place names, with article numbers and the official examples.
- 01
Romanizing Korean Vowels — ㅓ is eo, ㅡ is eu, ㅢ is ui
A table of the 10 simple vowels and 11 diphthongs in Chapter 2, Article 1 of the Romanization of Korean, with examples of the confusing eo, eu, ae, oe and ui.
- 02
Romanizing Korean Consonants — g/k for ㄱ·ㄷ·ㅂ, r/l for ㄹ
A summary of the consonant rules in Chapter 2, Article 2: why ㄱ·ㄷ·ㅂ are g·d·b before a vowel and k·t·p as a final consonant, the r·l·ll of ㄹ, and the seven representative final sounds, with examples.
- 03
Sound Changes and Romanization — Why 종로 Is Jongno
The sound-change rules of Chapter 3, Article 1, covering assimilation between consonants, added ㄴ and ㄹ, palatalization, aspiration and unwritten tensing, with the official examples.
- 04
Romanizing Korean Personal Names — Surname, Given Name, Hyphens and Customary Spellings
An explanation of the personal-name rules in Chapter 3, Article 4: order and spacing of surname and given name, why sound changes are not reflected in names, hyphen use, and customary surname spellings such as Kim, Lee and Park.
- 05
Romanizing Korean Addresses and Administrative Units — Jongno-gu, Sejong-daero
The hyphen rule for administrative units in Chapter 3, Article 5, how road-name addresses are written in English, and how natural features and cultural properties are written (Article 6), with examples.
- 06
Choosing Your Korean Passport Name — Hard to Change Once Set
The romanized name rules from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs passport information (syllable-by-syllable, given name joined, hyphen allowed), the reasons that permit a change, and what to check when choosing for the first time.
- 07
20 Common Korean Romanization Mistakes
Common wrong romanizations such as Jongro, Shilla, Pusan and Haeundae-beach, corrected with the relevant articles of the regulation. Most come from the old system or missed sound changes.