Gyeonggi Province’s Preservation of the Korean Language

Gyeonggi Province acknowledges the importance of right use of the Korean language by various methods.

This April, Gyeonggi Province initiated the appropriate use of the Korean language among public bodies by selecting 55 loanwords frequently used in public documents, such as difficult Chinese characters and foreign language terms, and directing their replacement with Korean language alternatives as part of its Korean language promotion project.

Gyeonggi Province and Hanyang University’s Korean Language Center cooperated in the selection of commonly used loanwords and foreign phrases, including English abbreviations, difficult Chinese characters and Japanese expressions, primarily based on public data such as announcements posted on the websites of Gyeonggi Province and affiliated institutions.

They then conducted a two-step survey of approximately 1,400 provincial officials to derive a longlist of such terms, and eventually finalized a shortlist of 55 loanwords after deliberation by Gyeonggi Province’s Korean Linguistics Committee.

Some examples of the loanwords to be replaced with native Korean expressions include English terms such as “MOU” (memorandum of understanding), “short form” (short video), “agenda,” “webinar” and “pandemic,” as well as Chinese-derived phrases such as “public relations” and “next week,” which appear frequently in public documents

ⓒGyeonggi Province

Gyeonggi Province distributed the completed list to all provincial departments and agencies, as well as to city/county offices in the province, so that Korean language terms can be utilized across the board.

Moving forward, Gyeonggi Province will continue to identify cases of inaccurate and difficult vernacular usage so as to improve communication with residents and contribute to the promotion of an appropriate linguistic style. Specifically, Gyeonggi Province will follow a set of recommendations for appropriate terminology compiled under the supervision of a Korean linguist when promulgating laws and preparing civil complaint forms, and will implement linguistic training for provincial personnel and other linguistic activities.

This year, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government’s linguistic efforts were appraised as an exemplary public institution case by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.