COMMUNICATING

LANGUAGE
An estimated 70 million people in the world speak Korean. The vast majority are on the Korean peninsula, but there are about 2.14 million in China, 2.1 million in the USA, 912,000 in Japan, and 500,000 in the former Soviet Union. The highest number in Europe is about 18,000 in Great Britain, including a small number from North Korea. Although there were many people of Korean ethnic origin in the Soviet Union, the language suffered badly during Stalin’s time, and few now speak it. Outside these areas, Korean has not enjoyed the popularity of Chinese or Japanese, and relatively few non-Koreans know the language.

Most Westerners find Korean a difficult language. To the complexity of the grammar are added other factors that cause problems. Korean has absorbed many words of Chinese origin, which exist alongside native Korean words—both must be learned. Korean is a language with many levels of speech, with numerous honorifics depending on who is addressing whom, and in what context; there are at least nine degrees of respect or familiarity. In South Korea, a visitor who speaks some Korean will come in for much praise—only when one’s language skills are really good will this praise disappear! In North Korea, while a little knowledge of Korean will earn similar plaudits, evidence of real language skills will be looked upon with suspicion, at least at first. Korean-speaking foreigners are seen as potential spies—particularly by older North Koreans who have had less exposure to Western or other cultures—and are not welcome.

Although all Koreans can communicate with each other, there are several distinct dialects. The political divide has led to each side stressing that “correct” speech is based around that of either Seoul or Pyongyang. Kim Il Sung condemned Seoul speech in the 1960s as being “firmly rooted in the rotten bourgeois life” of the past, full of loan words from Chinese, Japanese, and English, and overly feminine. In the South, North Korean speech is criticized for its heavy ideological content and for a deliberate break with the peninsula’s past by stripping out Chinese-derived words.

South Korea has a heavy influx of English-derived words as a result of a strong American presence since 1945, although even in the North, words such as camera, television, and hotel are in common use. It is possible that the influx of foreign words also affects the generations in South Korea; as elsewhere, older people profess themselves unable to understand the young. The latter pride themselves on being up-to-date in the “cool” language of international pop music and fashion.

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” ― Marilyn Monroe

The Korean Alphabet
The written language as used in South Korea requires some knowledge of Chinese characters as well as of the Korean alphabet, although their use is steadily diminishing with the use of computers. Chinese characters are no longer in use in North Korea, though they can sometimes still be seen at historical sites or monuments. Kim Il Sung seems to have been proud of his Chinese calligraphy and wrote several inscriptions for buildings or places that he had caused to be restored.

The Korean alphabet is known as Han’gul in South Korea, and as Choson muncha in the North, and dates from the reign of King Sejong in the fifteenth century. In order to provide a means of writing more attuned to Korean grammar than Chinese ideographs, and that would be more generally accessible, he set teams of scholars to work on devising a new method of writing.

Today, all Koreans, North and South, are very proud of what they usually describe as the most scientific alphabet in the world, sometimes extending this to the language itself. The alphabet is simple to learn; an afternoon’s assiduous work is all that is required to learn the individual letters, though much more is needed to be able to combine them properly, and to be aware of the subtle changes that take place in such combinations. Acquisition of the alphabet can help in traveling, since in some remote parts, romanized signs may be in short supply. It is also nice to be able to read slogans, even if they turn out to be saying no more than “Drink Coca-Cola.”

There are a few traps for the foreigner. One is the “r” and “l” sounds, which, as in Japanese and Chinese, are almost interchangeable. There are also some differences in pronunciation between the northern and southern halves of the country—these have nothing to do with politics, however, and long predate the division of the peninsula. Thus, as already mentioned, the surname “Lee,” “Li,” “I,” or “Yi,” used in the south, is usually found as “Ree,” “Rhee,” or “Ri” in the north. Do not worry too much; Koreans will recognize it whichever way you pronounce it.

The language bears some similarity to those of neighboring countries. There are no definite or indefinite articles, grammatical number, or gender distinctions. Pronouns are rarely used, and sentences are often vague about the subject and tense of a verb. At the same time, while Korean contains many Chinese words, its grammar is very different. The grammar of Korean and Japanese is very similar, but the two languages sound very different. Korean appears to be linked to the Altaic group of languages, which includes Mongolian, Manchu, Hungarian, and Finnish, to name a few, but there is no clear evidence of any historical link between most of the languages so described. Certainly, if you speak Finnish or Hungarian, you will not find many opportunities to do so in Korea.

Transliteration
How to romanize Korean has been a problem for Westerners since they first encountered the language in the seventeenth century. For a long time, French influence was strongest as a result of the nineteenth-century French Roman Catholic missionaries who worked (and in many cases, suffered martyrdom) in Korea. The French system of transliteration survives in the accepted spelling of Seoul. That, and a few other conventions, such as “Korea” spelt with a “C” will still be found in various Romance languages.

Two Americans devised the most widely used system of romanization in the late 1930s. George McAfee McCune (1908–48) was born in Pyongyang of missionary parents, while Edwin Oldfather Reischauer (1910–90) was a scholar of Japanese and later US ambassador to Japan. Working together with a group of Korean scholars, they created the McCune–Reischauer System, published by the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch in 1939. This system aimed to be a phonetic translation of modern Korean, using English consonants and Italian vowels, rather than a literal transcription of Han’gul. Its use spread rapidly. It has been used in South Korea from time to time, and, in a modified (and unacknowledged) version, it is still used in North Korea. Other systems in use include the Yale system, devised in the 1950s, which is much favored by linguists.

Many Koreans do not like the McCune–Reischauer System, however, since it does not exactly represent the Korean alphabet. Some Koreans appear to object because foreigners were involved in its development. Others have seen it as tainted by links with Japan, because of Reischauer’s involvement. In South Korea, various attempts have been made to develop a more acceptable system, the latest of which was introduced in 2000, ousting McCune–Reischauer from all official publications, road signs, and similar material. Many English speakers do not like the new system because it throws up unfamiliar and unsightly combinations of letters and can lead to as many mispronunciations as McCune–Reischauer—the surname “Pak” (Park), for example, becomes “Bag”; “tongnip,” independence, becomes “dogrib”; and the province of Cholla bukdo, “Jeollabuk-do.” However, there is strong government pressure to use it and it is now ubiquitous in South Korea. No doubt, in time, it will all become as familiar as McCune–Reischauer, but it is a pity that romanization, one of the few points on which North and South have shared the same position, at least in recent years, has become another dividing point.

FACE-TO-FACE
Communicating will generally not be too much of a problem, at least at a simple level. Koreans both North and South learn English from their schooldays onward, so in theory English is the most widespread second language on the peninsula—as French is in Britain. Remember that many Koreans never have the chance to use their foreign languages with native speakers, so they may well be shy of trying to talk to you. Persevere and your efforts may be rewarded. If you are not having much luck with the spoken language, try writing things down. Many people can read English even if they are nervous about speaking it.

If you have other languages, it may be worth trying them. Very old Koreans may still have some Japanese, for example, and most South Koreans will understand some written Chinese, since Chinese characters are still in use for some purposes. German and French will sometimes yield results. If all else fails, sign language may work!

In the North, you are unlikely ever to be left in circumstances where you do not have an English-speaking guide, and your guide will interpret most conversations. The quality of such interpretation varies, however, and at busy times when there are many foreign groups in town, you may find yourself with a guide whose command of English is not very good. Be patient if your meaning is not understood the first time. Remember that your guide will have had few opportunities to hear native English speakers.

Nonconfrontation
Do not be surprised if there is a lack of eye contact during conversations, or indeed at other times. Koreans do not like to look directly at people except for the shortest periods, since this is regarded as confrontational. They are not being shifty, merely polite by Korean standards. Neither do they like to begin business right away. It is polite to exchange views about the weather or the season, and you may well be asked for your impressions of the country.

Koreans will also avoid confrontation in conversations or negotiations. The use of direct negatives is avoided; better to say, “There is a small problem,” than to say “No.” If there is a difficulty, like most people Koreans will become somewhat uneasy and may start shifting around—it is a good idea to suggest a break at such a point.

In South Korea, politics has become less of a taboo subject than it used to be but remember that the prevailing political ethos is very conservative by Western standards. Remember also that South Koreans are proud of the progress that they have made toward a more democratic society in recent years.

In the North, it is best to avoid political discussions. You will not get far, and if you are thought to be in any way critical, you may cause offense. In particular, you should avoid any hostile comment about Kim Il Sung, the founding president, his son Kim Jong Il, or the country’s current leader Kim Jong Un. Any adverse comment will certainly be taken amiss, as will any mistreatment of pictures of the leaders. Do not deface or even crumple newspapers with their images. This has led to trouble for some visitors.

You will find that some subjects that might be avoided in the West will readily be brought into the conversation in Korea. Your health and married status may well become the subject of inquiry or debate in both North and South. In the South, be prepared for searching questions about your religion, especially from Korean Christians. You should also note that Korean Protestants do not generally smoke or drink, and that seeing foreign Protestants doing either may cause some disquiet.

Sports are a good conversational gambit, and inquiries about families are usually well received. Pictures of family members can be a help. Where and what you have studied will usually evoke a positive response. Remember, however, that most Koreans have only heard of a few educational establishments outside their own country. Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and Cambridge may be recognized, but not much beyond. Such topics, of course, belong at social rather than business gatherings.

COMMUNICATIONS IN THE SOUTH
The Press
Since the late 1980s, the South Korean press has been free of the political controls that operated during the years of military or quasi-military rule. Radio and television are perhaps not quite so free, but they are now much more willing to air controversial subjects, especially political ones, than was the case in the past.

Foreigners without Korean are well catered to, with two long-established English-language papers, the Korean Herald and the Korean Times. The former has long been seen as linked to the government, while the latter, a sister paper of the Korean Hankook Ilbo (Korean Daily), has been regarded as more independent. The reality is that it is hard to see much difference between them, either in coverage or in opinions. The Joongang Ilbo newspaper group has a link to the International Herald Tribune, and publishes a version of this. These papers provide both domestic and international stories, as well as information about theaters, lectures, and so on. They also have Internet sites. Foreign newspapers and magazines are widely available in Seoul and sometimes in the big hotels in other major cities.

The Media
Television channels include the English-language “Arirang,” which also has a Web page and an FM radio channel, and the American Forces Network, Korea (AFKN); the latter also runs a radio service.

The state Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) has radio stations that specialize in classical music. In the hotels, channels such as CNN and BBC World Television, and other European or American channels, will usually be available, as will Chinese and Japanese channels.

The Internet
South Korea has the fastest Internet infrastructure in the world, and visitors will find that hotels are fully equipped for broadband access. Here, however, the government is inclined to be more interventionist than it is in the West, at least in regard to certain subjects. Accessing Internet sites relating to North Korea is an offense under South Korea’s national security laws, and some controversial political sites have been blocked.

For foreigners, there are many English-language sites giving information about developments in Korea and what is going on in the way of entertainment. There are also many foreign chat rooms and blogs available.

The overall impact of improved technologies in electronics and Internet speed has been to accelerate the changes in the way in which South Koreans interact socially, on a daily basis.

Telephones, Smartphones, Apps
The South Korean fixed-line telephone system, run by another government monopoly, KT (formerly Korea Telecom), is equally efficient and widespread throughout the country. All hotels are on IDD.

South Korea has taken to cell phones in a big way, and two of the world’s main manufacturers, LG and Samsung, are South Korean. KT is the main provider. Visitors will find that acquiring and operating a cell phone is easy and useful. In early 2019, South Korea became the first country to roll out a fifth generation, 5G, mobile wireless service, built into the newly released Samsung smartphone.

Cell phones have become a huge part of everday life, especially among the young. Smartphones are used for activities such as banking, making payments, including public travel passes and bills, and communications. The “digital wallet” is the new norm, and cash rarely changes hands. Samsung has invented a payment app for public use called Samsung Pay. This stores personal banking information securely and allows personal payments to be made in real-time.

Payment for taxi rides, public transportation, and utility bills can be transacted with the press of a button. The downside is that it is a built-in app exclusively for Samsung cell phones. However, there are alternatives. Kakaotalk is a communication app developed primarily to offer most of the services that Samsung Pay provides. It has introduced a payment and banking service through its sub function within the same app called Kakaopay. Kakaotaxi is another dedicated function for calling taxis, the Korean equivalent of UBER.

Mail
The modern Korean postal system dates from the 1880s; a famous political event is the so-called “Post Office coup of 1884,” when progressive politicians were attacked while attending a dinner marking the opening of the country’s first Post Office. The modern government-owned Korea Post provides an efficient system, with cards and letters reaching the United States and Europe within a couple of days of mailing. The Post Office is also conscientious about returning undelivered mail.

COMMUNICATIONS IN THE NORTH
The picture is different in North Korea. The press, radio, and television are tightly controlled, and are only available in Korean. The weekly Pyongyang Times newspaper, which appears in English and a number of other languages, contains no practical information about what is happening in North Korea. Instead, readers receive a stream of propaganda articles that quickly begin to pall. For information on theaters or the circus, visitors need to ask their guides. However, foreigners in some hotels in Pyongyang today can view BBC World Service Television and some Chinese channels, including Chinese Central Television’s English-language channel. What is available often varies, perhaps depending on who is staying in the hotel on any given day.

The postal system appears efficient, although delays sometimes occur because of the relatively low number of international flights from the North. The telephone and fax systems provide international direct dialing and generally work well, although poor electricity supplies can interrupt transmission. Telephone directories may exist, but they appear to be treated as state secrets. They are not available to foreigners. Foreign embassies, international organizations, and foreign companies do not have access to the telephone network used by Koreans. The network they use has the area code 381, which also gives access to the main hotels, Air Koryo, and, to a limited extent, some ministries.

Access to the Internet in North Korea is very limited. For some years, North Korean sponsored sites based in China, Japan, and Germany provided some contact, and from about 2009 a number of sites have emerged in North Korea. Some e-mail addresses have also become known. Resident foreigners often do have access to the Internet and some visitors may do so.

For a brief period in 2002, foreigners could bring in cell phones, even though they could not be used. This seemed to be in anticipation of the introduction of a domestic mobile system. This was introduced in 2003, but it closed down in June 2004. Foreign cell phones again were taken away on entry and returned on departure. A new domestic cell phone system began in 2009, run by an Egyptian company. By early 2012, it was said to have over a million subscribers and to be available throughout the country. Neither handsets nor calls are cheap. The network is available to foreigners, whether residents or visitors, but, as with landlines, there is no access to the system used by most Koreans. Foreigners can again bring in cell phones, but these do not work in the DPRK.