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Languages

Languages of North Korea

PyongyangLocal time

Languages, writing systems and language context

북한
COUNTRY LANGUAGE PROFILE
한국어
Korean
Text direction: LTR

Korean is the national language used across North Korea. The constitutional text directs the State to safeguard and develop its language, and Korean is written primarily in Chosŏn'gŭl, the North Korean name for Hangul.

1
Core language shown
Country-level reference set
Korean
First listed core language
Not a speaker-share estimate
1
Writing system represented
Across the core language set
LTR
Primary text direction
Additional directions noted below

Language Overview

Korean

Read the Characters

Korean · 24 characters

Korean · 24 characters
ㄱ
g/k
ㄴ
n
ㄷ
d/t
ㄹ
r/l
ㅁ
m
ㅂ
b/p
ㅅ
s
ㅇ
ng
ㅈ
j
ㅊ
ch
ㅋ
k
ㅌ
t
ㅍ
p
ㅎ
h
ㅏ
a
ㅑ
ya
ㅓ
eo
ㅕ
yeo
ㅗ
o
ㅛ
yo
ㅜ
u
ㅠ
yu
ㅡ
eu
ㅣ
i

How to Read the Language Landscape

PolicyLegal and administrative language status may differ between national and subnational government.
Everyday useA language can be socially dominant without being the only language used at home, school, work or in media.
Community diversityIndigenous, minority, migrant and sign languages can remain important even when they are not part of a short national headline list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What languages are used in North Korea?

Korean is the national language used across North Korea. The constitutional text directs the State to safeguard and develop its language, and Korean is written primarily in Chosŏn'gŭl, the North Korean name for Hangul.

What writing systems are used in North Korea?

The represented writing system is Hangul and the primary direction shown is left to right.

More about North Korea

Explore North Korea across the other DigifyWorld country-data sections.

Public HolidaysPublic holidays 2026 and 2027→Digital AdoptionInternet, payments and digital government→Population & DemographicsPopulation, age structure and projections→Economy SnapshotGDP, trade and economic structure→Currency & ExchangeCurrency, exchange rates and money→Human DevelopmentHDI and quality-of-life indicators→Geography & EnvironmentLand, climate and environment→Practical Country InfoTime, driving, electricity and codes→EducationSchool system and education data→

Sources & methodology

View sources used for this page
DPRK Socialist Constitution: Article 54

Government legal database source carrying the DPRK Socialist Constitution, including the constitutional provision protecting and developing the Korean language.

Unicode CLDR: Country/Region Names

Localized country display-name reference. CLDR names are customary UI/display names, not claims about a state’s full constitutional long-form name.

Unicode: Supported Scripts

Reference for the writing-system/script families represented in the character component.

Unicode: Writing Direction and Bidirectional Text

Reference for left-to-right and right-to-left script direction and bidirectional text behavior.

Unicode Character Database: NamesList

Reference for Unicode character names used as small readout labels under selected character samples; these labels are not presented as a complete transliteration standard.