Editing Korean language (section)

== North–South differences ==
{{Main|North–South differences in the Korean language}}
The language used in the North and the South exhibit differences in pronunciation, spelling, grammar and vocabulary.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Kanno |editor-first=Hiroomi |editor2=Society for Korean Linguistics in Japan |year=1987 |trans-title=Chōsengo o manabō |title=『朝鮮語を学ぼう』|language=ja |publisher=Sanshūsha |location=Tokyo |isbn=4-384-01506-2}}</ref>

===Pronunciation===
In North Korea, [[Palatalization (sound change)|palatalization]] of {{IPA|/si/}} is optional, and {{IPA|/t͡ɕ/}} can be pronounced {{IPA|[z]}} between vowels.

Words that are written the same way may be pronounced differently (such as the examples below). The pronunciations below are given in [[Revised Romanization of Korean|Revised Romanization]], [[McCune–Reischauer]] and modified [[Hangul]] (what the Korean characters would be if one were to write the word as pronounced).

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="3" | Word
! rowspan="3" | {{Tooltip|RR|Revised Romanization}}
! rowspan="3" | Meaning
! colspan="6" | Pronunciation
|-
! colspan="3" | North
! colspan="3" | South
|-
!{{Tooltip|RR|Revised Romanization}}
!{{Tooltip|MR|McCune–Reischauer}}
![[Hangul|Chosŏn'gŭl]]
!{{Tooltip|RR|Revised Romanization}}
!{{Tooltip|MR|McCune–Reischauer}}
![[Hangul]]
|-
|{{lang|ko|읽고}}
|il'''g'''o
|to read (continuative form)
|il'''k'''o 
|il'''k'''o
|{{lang|ko|(일)'''코'''}}
|il'''kk'''o 
|il'''kk'''o
|{{lang|ko|(일)'''꼬'''}}
|-
|{{lang|ko|압록강}}
|am'''n'''okgang
|[[Yalu River|Amnok River]]
|am'''r'''okgang 
|am'''r'''okkang
|{{lang|ko|'''암'''(록)'''깡'''}}
|am'''n'''okkang 
|am'''n'''okkang
|{{lang|ko|'''암녹깡'''}}
|-
|{{lang|ko|독립}}
|dong'''n'''ip
|independence
|dong'''r'''ip 
|tong'''r'''ip
|{{lang|ko|'''동'''(립)}}
|dong'''n'''ip 
|tong'''n'''ip
|{{lang|ko|'''동닙'''}}
|-
|{{lang|ko|관념}}
|gwa'''nn'''yeom
|idea / sense / conception
|gwa'''ll'''yeom 
|kwa'''ll'''yŏm
|{{lang|ko|'''괄렴'''}}
|gwa'''nn'''yeom 
|kwa'''nn'''yŏm
|{{lang|ko|(관)'''념'''}}
|-
|{{lang|ko|혁신적}}*
|hyeoksin'''j'''eok
|innovative
|hyeoksin'''jj'''eok 
|hyŏksin'''tch'''ŏk
|{{lang|ko|(혁)'''씬쩍'''}}
|hyeoksin'''j'''eok 
|hyŏksin'''j'''ŏk
|{{lang|ko|(혁)'''씬'''(적)}}
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> In the North, similar pronunciation is used whenever the Hanja "{{lang|ko|的}}" is attached to a Sino-Korean word ending in {{lang|ko|ㄴ}}, {{lang|ko|ㅁ}} or {{lang|ko|ㅇ}}.

<nowiki>*</nowiki> In the South, this rule only applies when it is attached to any single-character Sino-Korean word.

===Spelling===
{{see also|Korean spelling alphabet}}
Some words are spelled differently by the North and the South, but the pronunciations are the same.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2" | Word
!rowspan="2" | Meaning
!rowspan="2" | Pronunciation (RR/MR)
!rowspan="2" | Remarks
|-
!North spelling
!South spelling
|-
|{{lang|ko-KP|해빛}}
|{{lang|ko-KR|햇빛}}
|sunshine
|haeppit (haepit)
|The "sai siot" ('{{lang|ko|ㅅ}}' used for indicating sound change) is almost never written out in the North.
|-
|{{lang|ko-KP|벗꽃}}
|{{lang|ko-KR|벚꽃}}
|cherry blossom
|beotkkot (pŏtkkot)
|
|-
|{{lang|ko-KP|못읽다}}
|{{lang|ko-KR|못 읽다}}
|cannot read
|modikda (modikta)
|Spacing.
|-
|{{lang|ko-KP|한나산}}
|{{lang|ko-KR|한라산}}
|[[Hallasan]]
|hallasan (hallasan)
|When a {{lang|ko|ㄴㄴ}} combination is pronounced as ''ll'', the original Hangul spelling is kept in the North, whereas the Hangul is changed in the South.
|-
|{{lang|ko-KP|규률}}
|{{lang|ko-KR|규율}}
|rules
|gyuyul (kyuyul)
|In words where the original Hanja is spelt "{{lang|ko|렬}}" or "{{lang|ko|률}}" and follows a vowel, the initial {{lang|ko|ㄹ}} is not pronounced in the North, making the pronunciation identical with that in the South where the {{lang|ko|ㄹ}} is dropped in the spelling.
|}

===Spelling ''and'' pronunciation===
Basically, the standard languages of North and South Korea, including pronunciation and vocabulary, are both linguistically based on the Seoul dialect, but in North Korea, words have been modified to reflect the theories of scholars like [[Kim Tu-bong]], who sought a refined language, as well as political needs. Some differences are difficult to explain in terms of political ideas, such as North Korea's use of the word ''rajio'' ({{Korean|hangul=라지오|labels=no}}).:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" |Word
! rowspan="2" |Meaning
! rowspan="2" |Remarks
|-
! North spelling
! North pronun.
! South spelling
! South pronun.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|력량}}
| ryeongryang (ryŏngryang)
| {{lang|ko-KR|역량}}
| yeongnyang (yŏngnyang)
| strength
| Initial ''r'''s are dropped if followed by ''i'' or ''y'' in the South Korean version of Korean.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|로동}}
| rodong (rodong)
| {{lang|ko-KR|노동}}
| nodong (nodong)
| work
| Initial ''r'''s are demoted to an ''n'' if not followed by ''i'' or ''y'' in the South Korean version of Korean.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|원쑤}}
| wonssu (wŏnssu)
| {{lang|ko-KR|원수}}
| wonsu (wŏnsu)
| mortal enemy
| "Mortal enemy" and "[[Wonsu|field marshal]]" are homophones in the South. Possibly to avoid referring to [[Kim Il Sung]], [[Kim Jong Il]] or [[Kim Jong Un]] as the enemy, the second syllable of "enemy" is written and pronounced {{lang|ko|쑤}} in the North.<ref>{{harvp|Sohn|2006|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=H4CsWDEi52IC&pg=PA38 38]}}</ref>
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|라지오}}
| rajio (rajio)
| {{lang|ko-KR|라디오}}
| radio (radio)
| radio
| In South Korea, the expression ''rajio'' is considered a Japanese expression that was introduced during the Japanese colonial rule and does not properly represent the pronunciation of Korean.<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ko:일본을 거쳐서 들어온 외래 어휘 |url=https://www.korean.go.kr/nkview/nklife/1995_2/5_3.html |publisher=[[National Institute of Korean Language]] |access-date=24 June 2023 |archive-date=24 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624121331/https://www.korean.go.kr/nkview/nklife/1995_2/5_3.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|우}}
| u (u)
| {{lang|ko-KR|위}}
| wi (wi)
| on; above
|
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|안해}}
| anhae (anhae)
| {{lang|ko-KR|아내}}
| anae (anae)
| wife
|
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|꾸바}}
| kkuba (kkuba)
| {{lang|ko-KR|쿠바}}
| kuba (k'uba)
| [[Cuba]]
| When transcribing foreign words from languages that do not have contrasts between aspirated and unaspirated stops, North Koreans generally use tensed stops for the unaspirated ones while South Koreans use aspirated stops in both cases.
|-
|{{lang|ko-KP|페}}
|pe (p'e)
|{{lang|ko-KR|폐}}
|pye (p'ye), pe (p'e)
|lungs
|In the case where ''ye'' comes after a consonant, such as in ''hye'' and ''pye'', it is pronounced without the palatal approximate. North Korean orthography reflects this pronunciation nuance.
|}

In general, when transcribing place names, North Korea tends to use the pronunciation in the original language more than South Korea, which often uses the pronunciation in English. For example:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Original name
! colspan="2" | North Korea transliteration
! rowspan="2" | English name
! colspan="2" | South Korea transliteration
|-
! Spelling
! Pronunciation
! Spelling
! Pronunciation
|-
| [[Ulaanbaatar]]
| {{lang|ko|울란바따르}}
| ullanbattareu (ullanbattarŭ)
| Ulan Bator
| {{lang|ko|울란바토르}}
| ullanbatoreu (ullanbat'orŭ)
|-
| København
| {{lang|ko|쾨뻰하븐}}
| koeppenhabeun (k'oeppenhabŭn)
| [[Copenhagen]]
| {{lang|ko|코펜하겐}}
| kopenhagen (k'op'enhagen)
|-
| al-Qāhirah
| {{lang|ko|까히라}}
| kkahira (kkahira)
| [[Cairo]]
| {{lang|ko|카이로}}
| kairo (k'airo)
|}

===Grammar===
Some grammatical constructions are also different:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" |Word
! rowspan="2" |Meaning
! rowspan="2" |Remarks
|-
! North spelling
! North {{abbr|pronun.|pronunciation}}
! South spelling
! South pronun.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|되였다}}
| doeyeotda (toeyŏtta)
| {{lang|ko-KR|되었다}}
| doeeotda (toeŏtta)
| past tense of {{lang|ko|되다}} (doeda/toeda), "to become"
| All similar grammar forms of verbs or adjectives that end in {{lang|ko|ㅣ}} in the stem (i.e. {{lang|ko|ㅣ}}, {{lang|ko|ㅐ}}, {{lang|ko|ㅔ}}, {{lang|ko|ㅚ}}, {{lang|ko|ㅟ}} and {{lang|ko|ㅢ}}) in the North use {{lang|ko|여}} instead of the South's {{lang|ko|어}}.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|고마와요}}
| gomawayo (komawayo)
| {{lang|ko-KR|고마워요}}
| gomawoyo (komawŏyo)
| thanks
| {{lang|ko|ㅂ}}-irregular verbs in the North use {{lang|ko|와}} (wa) for all those with a positive ending vowel; this only happens in the South if the verb stem has only one syllable.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|할가요}}
| halgayo (halkayo)
| {{lang|ko-KR|할까요}}
| halkkayo (halkkayo)
| Shall we do?
| Although the Hangul differ, the pronunciations are the same (i.e. with the tensed {{lang|ko|ㄲ}} sound).
|}

===Punctuation===
In the North, [[guillemet]]s ({{lang|ko-KP|《|italic=no}} and {{lang|ko-KP|》|italic=no}}) are the symbols used for [[Quote marks|quotes]]; in the South, quotation marks equivalent to the English ones ({{lang|ko-KR|"|italic=no}} and {{lang|ko-KR|"|italic=no}}) are standard (although {{lang|ko-KR|『 』|italic=no}} and {{lang|ko-KR|「 」|italic=no}} are also used).

===Vocabulary===
Some vocabulary is different between the North and the South:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" |Word
! rowspan="2" |Meaning
! rowspan="2" |Remarks
|-
! North word
! North pronun.
! South word
! South pronun.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|문화주택}}
| munhwajutaek (munhwajut'aek)
| {{lang|ko-KR|아파트}}
| apateu (ap'at'ŭ)
| Apartment
| {{lang|ko-KP|아빠트}} (''appateu/appat'ŭ'') is also used in the North.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|조선어}}
| joseoneo (chosŏnŏ)
| {{lang|ko-KR|한국어}}
| hangugeo (han'gugŏ)
| Korean language
| The Japanese pronunciation of 조선말 was used throughout Korea and Manchuria during Japanese imperial rule, but after liberation, the government in the South chose the name 대한민국 (''daehanminguk'') which was derived from the name immediately prior to Japanese imperial rule, and claimed by government-in-exile from 1919. The syllable 한 (''han'') was drawn from the same source as that name (in reference to the Han people). [[Names of Korea#20th century|Read more]].

{{lang|ko-KP|조선어}} (''joseoneo/chosŏnŏ'') is officially used in the North.
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|곽밥}}
| gwakbap (kwakpap)
| {{lang|ko-KR|도시락}}
| [[dosirak]] (tosirak)
| lunch box
|
|-
| {{lang|ko-KP|동무}}
| dongmu (tongmu)
| {{lang|ko-KR|친구}}
| chingu (ch'in'gu)
| Friend
| {{lang|ko|동무}} was originally a non-ideological word for "friend" used all over the Korean peninsula, but North Koreans later adopted it as the equivalent of the Communist term of address "[[comrade]]". As a result, to South Koreans today the word has a heavy political tinge, and so they have shifted to using other words for friend like ''chingu'' ({{lang|ko|친구}}) or ''beot'' ({{lang|ko|벗}}). Today, ''beot'' ({{lang|ko|벗}}) is closer to a term used in literature, and ''chingu'' ({{lang|ko|친구}}) is the widest-used word for friend. 
Such changes were made after the Korean War and the ideological battle between the anti-Communist government in the South and North Korea's communism.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/30/world/asia/30iht-dialect.2644361.html |first=Sang-hun |last=Choe |author-link=Choe Sang-hun |title=Koreas: Divided by a common language |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2006-08-30 |access-date=2012-08-16 |archive-date=2 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302145757/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/30/world/asia/30iht-dialect.2644361.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2881801|title=Beliefs that bind |work=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]]|date=2007-10-23|access-date=2012-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501094647/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2881801|archive-date=2013-05-01 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
|}