Language

Overview

The official language of North Korea is Korean. Both North and South Korea share the same linguistic heritage, but after decades of separation, some differences in language use have developed.

Standard Korean in North Korea

The North Korean standard dialect is called Munhwaŏ (literally "cultured language"). In 1966, North Korea formally adopted the dialect of Pyongyang and its surrounds as the basis for the standard. This was a shift from the traditional prestige dialect of Seoul (which remains the standard in South Korea, known as Pyojuneo).

The choice of the Pyongyang dialect was ideologically motivated – Pyongyang was the revolutionary capital for Kim Il-sung and represented the working class speech, whereas Seoul's dialect was associated with the southern regime and colonial-era influence.

In everyday spoken Korean, a North Korean would sound mostly intelligible to a South Korean and vice versa; the core language is the same. However, North Korean Korean (often called Chosŏnmal or Chosŏnŏ in the North) has noticeable differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and spelling.

Pronunciation

North Korean pronunciation tends to be slightly more conservative in some vowels. For instance, South Korean "e" and "ae" vowels have merged in pronunciation, but in the North they still distinguish some of these sounds. Also, the North does not have the strong English accent influence found in some South Korean speech.

The intonation and accent of Pyongyang dialect is considered softer compared to the sharper Seoul intonation. These differences are subtle but recognizable.

Vocabulary

This is where many differences lie. North Korea, in its effort to purify and self-reliant-ize the language, replaced a lot of foreign loanwords (especially English-origin words common in South Korea) with either invented Korean equivalents or Russian loans.

There are also older Korean words preserved in the North that South Koreans replaced with modern or foreign terms. Conversely, South Korea has developed new slang and loanwords that are absent in the North.

Spelling and Grammar

North Korea largely follows the 1948 orthographic rules set by Kim Il-sung. One difference is North Korean spelling sometimes delinks what South Korea merged. South Korea allows some contraction in writing that the North might not and vice versa.

Grammatical structure remains the same overall; honorifics and speech levels exist in both, though North Korean propaganda often uses very lofty honorifics for the Leader (like "Respected Marshal" etc., which is just a set phrase).

Writing System

Both Koreas use the Hangul alphabet (known as Chosŏn'gŭl in the North) – the phonetic Korean script invented in the 15th century. However, South Korea occasionally uses some Chinese characters (Hanja) for academic or disambiguation purposes, whereas North Korea completely phased out Chinese characters by the 1950s to boost literacy and break from Chinese/Japanese influence. North Korean publications are thus 100% Hangul (aside from perhaps some foreign names or scientific terms where they might add a note).

For romanization (Latin script transliteration), North Korea uses a system called McCune–Reischauer, which is why we write "Kim Il-sung" (with a hyphen and a u) rather than the South's newer style "Kim Ilsong" or "Gim Il-seong". North Korean maps and materials in English reflect this: e.g. Pyongyang, Kaesong, Chongjin (versus South might render as Pyeongyang, Gaeseong, Cheongjin in their system).

Dialects

Besides the standard Pyongyang dialect, North Korea has regional dialects similar to those in the South (which are based on provinces):

• Hamgyŏng dialect: The people in the Hamgyŏng provinces in the northeast speak a dialect akin to the South's Hamgyong (Yukjin) dialect – known for some distinct intonation and vocab.
• Kangwon dialect: The Kangwon province dialect in the southeast (which crosses into South Korea's Gangwon) is similar on both sides of the border.
• Pyongan dialect: The Pyongan dialect (northwest) forms the basis of the standard, as mentioned.
• Gyeonggi dialect: The Gyeonggi (Seoul) dialect is actually spoken in the city of Kaesong and surrounding areas of the southernmost part of North Korea, since that area was traditionally part of greater Seoul dialect region. However, given Kaesong's proximity to the DMZ and its special status, Pyongyang likely imposes standard language there too.

North Korean media and education enforce the use of standard Munhwaŏ, and dialectal variation is probably less pronounced in public life than in South Korea (where regional dialects flourish more openly in media and daily use). The regime has historically stigmatized the use of dialects that might indicate disloyal regions or cross-border influence. There have even been language campaigns to purge South Korean slang or foreign words (e.g. around 2020, a law to eliminate slang imported from K-dramas).

Foreign Languages

North Korea teaches some foreign languages in schools – Russian was the preferred second language historically, now English is also taught (the regime recognized the practical need). However, few North Koreans become fluent due to lack of exposure.

Elite students at special schools may learn Chinese, Japanese, or French depending on future assignments (like diplomats or trade officials). For the average citizen, foreign language exposure is minimal; even learning too much about foreign cultures could be politically suspect.

Language as National Identity

Language in North Korea remains Korean in essence but has been carefully engineered as part of national identity and ideology. The government emphasizes that their Korean is "pure" and superior to the South's, which they claim is "contaminated" by foreign influence.

The reality is both versions evolved differently: the North's language reflects isolation and socialism (with terms like "comrade", "collective innovation", etc. commonplace), while the South's reflects globalization. Should Koreans from either side meet, they can communicate freely, but certain words and accent differences would quickly reveal their origin.

Despite those differences, the shared linguistic heritage is strong. North Korea celebrates the Hangul Day (Jan 15 in North, commemorating a 1949 spelling law, versus Oct 9 in South for the script's invention) as a sign of pride in the Korean language. To the regime, protecting and cultivating the Korean language is tied to protecting the nation's identity against foreign (especially American) cultural encroachment.