(1) Romanization is based on standard Korean pronunciation. (2) No symbols except Roman letters are used so far as possible.
Summary of the Transcription 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
Diphtongs
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, although being pronounced as ‘ㅣ’. Note 2: Long vowels are not reflected in transcription.
(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
ㅈ
ㅉ
ㅊ
j
jj
ch
Fricatives
ㅅ
ㅆ
ㅎ
s
ss
h
Nasals
ㄴ
ㅁ
ㅇ
n
m
ng
Liquids
ㄹ
r, l
Note 1 : The sounds ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ are transcribed respectively as g, d, and b before a vowel; they are transcribed as k, t, and p when they appear before another consonant or as the last sound of a word. (They are transcribed as pronunciation in [ ].)
구미
Gumi
영동
Yeongdong
백암
Baegam
옥천
Okcheon
합덕
Hapdeok
호법
Hobeop
월곶[월곧]
Wolgot
벚꽃[벋꼳]
beotkkot
한밭[한받]
Hanbat
Note 2 : ㄹ is transcribed as r before a vowel, and as l before a consonant or at the end of a word: ㄹㄹ is transcribed as ll.
구리
Guri
설악
Seorak
칠곡
Chilgok
임실
Imsil
울릉
Ulleung
대관령[대괄령]
Daegwallyeong
3. Special Provisions for Transcription
(1) When Korean sound values change as in the following cases, the results of those changes are transcribed as follows:
The case of assimilation of adjacent consonants
백마[뱅마]
Baengma
신문로[신문노]
Sinmunno
종로[종노]
Jongno
왕십리[왕심니]
Wangsimni
별내[별래]
Byeollae
신라[실라]
Silla
The case of the epenthetic ㄴ and ㄹ
학여울[항녀울]
Hangnyeoul
알약[알략]
allyak
The case of palatalization
해돋이[해도지]
haedoji
같이[가치]
gachi
굳히다[구치다]
guchida
The case when ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, and ㅈ are adjacent to ㅎ
좋고[조코]
joko
놓다[노타]
nota
잡혀[자펴]
japyeo
낳지[나치]
nachi
However, aspirated sounds are not transcribed in case of nouns where ㅎ follows ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ, as in the examples below.
묵호
Mukho
집현전
Jiphyeonjeon
Note: Tense (or glottalized) sounds are not transcribed in cases where morphemes are compounded, as in the examples below.
압구정
Apgujeong
낙동강
Nakdonggang
죽변
Jukbyeon
낙성대
Nakseongdae
합정
Hapjeong
팔당
Paldang
샛별
saetbyeol
울산
Ulsan
(2) When there is the possibility of confusion in pronunciation, a hyphen ‘-’ may be used.
중앙
Jung-ang
반구대
Ban-gudae
세운
Se-un
해운대
Hae-undae
(3) The first letter is capitalized in proper names.
부산
Busan
세종
Sejong
(4) Personal names are written by family name first, followed by a space and the given name. As a rule, syllables in given names are not seperated by hyphen, but it is admitted to use a hyphen between syllables. (Transcription in ( ) is permitted.)
민용하
Min Yongha (Min Yong-ha)
송나리
Song Nari (Song Na-ri)
Assimilated sound changes between syllables in given names are not transcribed.
한복남
Han Boknam (Han Bok-nam)
홍빛나
Hong Bitna (Hong Bit-na)
Transcriptions of family names will be established additionally.
(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 transcribed.
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
봉천1동
Bongcheon 1(il) -dong
종로 2가
Jongno 2(i) -ga
퇴계로 3가
Toegyero 3(sam) -ga
Note: The administrative units si, gun, eup may be omitted.
(6) Names of geographic features, cultural properties, and man-made structures may be written without hyphens.
남산
Namsan
속리산
Songnisan
금강
Geumgang
독도
Dokdo
경복궁
Gyeongbokgung
무량수전
Muryangsujeon
연화교
Yeonhwagyo
극락전
Geungnakjeon
안압지
Anapji
남한산성
Namhansanseong
화랑대
Hwarangdae
불국사
Bulguksa
현충사
Hyeonchungsa
독립문
Dongnimmun
오죽헌
Ojukheon
촉석루
Chokseongnu
종묘
Jongmyo
다보탑
Dabotap
(7) Proper names such as personal names and those of companies may be written as they have been so far.
(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, ㄹ are always written as g, d, b, 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.
