Listening to how North Koreans talk
A film I watched recently added Korean subtitles to a conversation between North Korean characters, as though they were speaking a foreign language. Eight decades after the peninsula was divided, that scene in 2026 showed how far North and South Korean dialects have drifted apart, and also raised harder question about how well South Koreans […]
A recent film added Korean subtitles to a conversation between North Korean characters, highlighting the distinct dialects that have developed over the 80 years since the peninsula was divided. As someone who has covered North Korea for 18 years and works with journalists who have defected from the North, I have often found conversations with North Koreans to be challenging, even though we speak the same language. Familiarity with unfamiliar words and regional variations in accents and phrasing is a constant struggle.
Reading "Rich and Spicy Northern Dialects" by Seol Song Ah, a defector from South Pyongan province, provided a welcome change. The book, which explores expressions and phrases common in the Hamgyong, Pyongan, and Hwanghae regions, felt both strange and familiar. It served as a social history told through everyday speech, covering topics from school days to romance, family life, and the workplace.
From the earthy banter to the quiet bitterness of economic collapse, the book offers a glimpse into the complexities of North Korean society.
While the book does not lecture readers about North Korean society, its structure becomes apparent through the words and stories of its characters. The usage of Japanese loanwords like "bento" and "kuruma," which I grew up hearing in the South Korean countryside, shows how language can differ between the two Koreas. The book reminds us that even a single fading word can hold one person's childhood memories and, on a larger scale, the social history of an entire era.
North Koreans are remarkably skilled at verbal sparring, using wordplay and satire to dodge crackdowns and express discontent. Their language reflects their experiences with the state, party organizations, family, and the market. The Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act, adopted in January 2023, aims to eliminate so-called "puppet language" and promote the use of the Pyongyang standard.
However, the language of the jangmadang, or private markets, offers a glimpse into how ordinary North Koreans have adapted and survived in the face of heavy political and social control. As marketization spreads, the way people address one another, the expressions they use in trade, and their attitudes toward money have all changed, reflecting a shift in consciousness.
Despite crackdowns, young North Koreans continue to incorporate South Korean expressions into their everyday speech, indicating a blend of traditional and modern influences.
Written by urgent.news from Daily NK's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
