Comparison Between South and North Korean Terms, Related to Clothing and Textiles

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in terminologies used in South and North Korea, to describe objects or activities related to clothing and textiles, as a part of a bigger project that aims at developing an educational program in provision of reunification of the Koreas. In this study, a total of 176 North Korean terms that differ from South Korean terms were collected from various sources, including dictionaries that are developed to compare South-North Korean languages as well as texts such as magazines and news articles, about North Korean daily life. The terms were classified into sub-categories: materials for clothing, clothing management, construction and design, garment names, body parts, description of physical appearance or state of hygiene, and apparel industry. Many of the North Korean terms were derived from native expressions, rather than adopting foreign terms or terms in Chinese characters. Some North Korean terms did not have any corresponding words in South Korean terms or vice versa. We expect the terminology list to become a useful educational resource in establishing a clothing and textiles curriculum in preparation of reunification, by allowing the students to familiarize with the differences in the usage of terms.