Applied Languages

    Posted by Jaiken Struck on March 25th, 2009

The two Koreas differ in more than just political ideology. Since the Korean Peninsula was divided more than 60 years ago, the way North and South Koreans’ speak has gone separate ways. And, for thousands of North Korean refugees, the language divide is one of their biggest challenges to adjusting to life in South Korea.

The North Korean language is a relic. It has not changed that much since the 1940s, whereas South Korean has added a wealth of new vocabulary. Chae Su-jeong, who defected in 2001, says she did not realize how different North and South Korean languages were until she started working for a recycling company. For example, she says, North Korea has only one word to describe all types of paper, but, in the South, there are many.

Political manipulation might be a reason for the North-South language divide. As in many aspects of life in North Korea, language has been altered to serve the nation’s rulers. So says Kim Seok-hyang, who lectures at the Ewha Institute for Unification Studies in Seoul and who has written a book on how North Koreans use their language, gives an example of one word that has had its meaning changed since the Koreas were divided.

“Sun-mul, in Korean language, sun-mul, which means present to your friend,” says Kim. “But now, North Korean way of speaking this sun-mul, sun-mul is the reserved word by Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. So, only Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are the only two who can give sun-mul to another person.”

Kim says, for these reasons, many North Korean defectors believe they speak a more pure form of the language than their South Korean counterparts. But speaking their North Korean dialect in their new home has caused problems for some refugees.

North Koreans can face job discrimination. Many South Koreans look down on defectors. But, for some refugees, speaking their language is a way to reconnect with the home they left behind.

To help close the language divide, the two Koreas have agreed to compile a joint dictionary. But any future linguistic cooperation is in question now, as the two governments are currently not speaking to each other.

Read more: VOA News

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