Appendix 7: Korean Romanization Table

This table illustrates the general application of the Korean Romanization rules;
exceptions are noted in Korean romanization guideline above.

Letter Position Rules for Romanization Examples

ㄱ Initial Always K 국어 Kugŏ

Medial 1. G between vowels, or after ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅁ and ㅇ 물건 mulgŏn 전기 chŏn’gi
2. NG before ㄴ, ㄹ and ㅁ 국민 kungmin
3. K before and after all other consonants 합계 hapkye
Final Always K 조국 choguk
ㄴ Initial 1. Not romanized before ‘ㅣ’ and yotized vowels 녀자 yŏja 닐곱 ilgop
2. N before other vowels 농민 nongmin
Medial 1. L when preceded or followed by ㄹ 달님 tallim 한류 Hallyu
2. N in all other cases 미나리 minari
Final Always N 강산 kangsan
ㄷ Initial Always T 다섯 tasŏt
Medial 1. D between vowels, or after ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅇ 무당 mudang 만두 mandu
2. T after ㄱ, ㅂ, ㄹ and ㅅ 합동 haptong 율동 yultong
3. N as syllabic final before ㄴ 치닫는 ch’idannŭn
4. T as syllabic final before other consonants 숟가락 sutkarak 묻다 mutta
Final Always T 곧 kot
ㄹ Initial 1. Not romanized before ‘ㅣ’, or yotized vowels 력사 yŏksa 리론 iron
2. N before other vowels 론술 nonsul
Medial 1. R between vowels, or before ㅎ 마루 maru 발해 Parhae
2. L before all other consonants, or after ㄴ and ㄹ 물리학 mullihak
3. N after other consonants 종로 Chongno
Final Always L 오솔길 osolkil
ㅁ Initial Always M 목수 moksu
Medial Always M 나무 namu 몸살 momsal
Final Always M 보석함 posŏkham
ㅂ Initial Always P 발표 palp’yo

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Letter Position Rules for Romanization Examples

Medial 1. B between vowels, or after ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅁ and ㅇ 갈비 kalbi 냄비 naembi

2. M before ㄴ, ㄹ and ㅁ 섭리 sŏmni 잡무 chammu
3. P before and after all other consonants 접시 chŏpsi 문법 munpŏp
Final Always P 헌법 hŏnpŏp
ㅅ Initial 1. SH before ‘ㅟ’ 쉽게 shwipke
2. S before other vowels 상업 sangŏp
Medial 1. SH before ‘ㅟ’ 아쉬운 ashwiun
2. S before other vowels 농산물 nongsanmul 웃음
3. NN as syllabic final before ‘ㅣ’ and yotized vowels in usŭm
compound words 옛일 yennil 숫양 sunnyang
4. S as syllabic final before ‘ㅣ’ and yotized vowels in 깨끗이 kkakkŭsi
single words
5. T as syllabic final before ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ and ㅎ 못하다 mothada 엇갈린 ŏtkallin
6. D as syllabic final in prefixes after all other vowels 웃옷 udot 첫아들 ch’ŏdadŭl
Final Always T 삿갓 satkat
ㅇ Initial Not romanized 얼굴 ŏlgul
Medial 1. Not romanized as syllabic initial 독일 Togil 금융 kŭmyung
2. NG as syllabic final 농민 nongmin
Final Always NG 사랑 sarang
ㅈ Initial Always CH 진리 chilli
Medial 1. J between vowels, or after ㄴ, ㅁ and ㅇ 도장 tojang 민족 minjok
2. CH after all other consonants 목장 mokchang
3. N as syllabic final before ㄴ, ㅁ 젖니 chŏnni 젖먹이 chŏnmŏgi
4. T as syllabic final before other consonants 짖다 chitta
Final Always T 빚 pit
ㅊ Initial Always CH’ 차별 ch’abyŏl
Medial 1. Always CH’ as syllabic initial 김치 kimch’i
2. N as syllabic final before ㄴ,ㅁ 빛낸 pinnaen
3. T as syllabic final before all other consonants 찾다 ch’atta 쫓기다 ch’otkida
4. J as syllabic final before vowels 찾아 ch’aja
Final Always T 장미꽃 changmikkot
ㅋ Initial Always K’ 코끼리 k’okkiri
Medial Always K’ 단칸방 tank’anpang
Final Always K 동녘 tongnyŏk

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Letter Position Rules for Romanization Examples

ㅌ Initial Always T’ 태풍 t’aep’ung

Medial 1. T’ before vowels, or after ㄱ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ and ㅈ 국토 kukt’o 같은 kat’ŭn
2. T before ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅅ and ㅈ 같던 kattŏn 낱셈 natsem
3. N before ‘ㅣ’ in compound word, or before ㄴ,ㅁ 밭일 pannil 낱말 nanmal
Final Always T 햇볕 haetpyŏt
ㅍ Initial Always P’ 편지 p’yŏnji
Medial 1. Always P’ as syllabic initial 병풍 pyŏngp’ung
2. P as syllabic final 짚신 chipsin
Final Always P 풀잎 p’ullip
ㅎ Initial Always H 황금 hwanggŭm
Medial * 1. H as syllabic initial after ㄱ, ㅂ and ㅅ 북한 Pukhan
2 CH’ as syllabic initial after ㄷ and ㅈ 잊혀진 ich’yŏjin
3. Not romanized as syllabic final before vowels 낳은 naŭn
4. NN as syllabic final before ㄴ 낳는 nannŭn
Final Always T 히읗 hiŭt
ㄲ Initial Always KK 까마귀 kkamagwi
Medial 1. KK, except after ㄱ, as syllabic initial 깔끔 kkalkkŭm 호박꽃
2. KK as syllabic final before vowels hobakkot
3. K as syllabic final before others 낚이다 nakkida 묶음 mukkŭm
낚시 naksi
Final Not applicable
ㄸ Initial Always TT 땅 ttang
Medial Always TT 찰떡 ch’alttŏk
Final Not applicable
ㅃ Initial Always PP 빨래 ppallae
Medial Always PP 오빠 oppa
Final Not applicable
ㅆ Initial Always SS 씨름 ssirŭm
Medial 1. Always SS as syllabic initial or, between vowels 불쌍 pulssang 있으며 issŭmyŏ
2. N as syllabic final before ㄴ 있는 innŭn 있냐 innya
3. T as syllabic final before other consonants 했다 haetta 오갔고 ogatko
Final Not applicable
ㅉ Initial Always TCH 짜증 tchajŭng
Medial Always TCH 가짜 katcha

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Letter Position Rules for Romanization Examples

Final Not applicable

* For further detail regarding syllabic final medial ㅎ, see Romanization rule 7

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