The Squid We Know Is 'Octopus' in the North... 38% of Words Differ Between the Two Koreas [Korean as a World Language]

③The Reality of Korean Language Education in China
Significant Differences Between the Standard Korean Dictionary and Chosunmal Dictionary
Mixing of Korean as Spoken in China's Three Northeastern Provinces
Growing Difficulties in Korean Language

In 2018, Kim Yojong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, visited South Korea as a special envoy of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jongun. During a luncheon with the president, when former Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jongseok remarked, "In South and North Korea, the words for squid and octopus are used in reverse," she replied with a smile, "That should be unified first."

The language gap between the two Koreas has continued to widen over the more than 70 years since the peninsula was divided. In 2016, the National Unification Korean Language Dictionary Joint Compilation Project compared South Korea's Standard Korean Dictionary and North Korea's Chosunmal Dictionary and found that 38% of everyday words are used differently in each country.

These differences cause confusion in Korean language education abroad. In particular, in socialist countries, the difficulties are compounded by not only the differences in spelling between South and North Korea but also the mixing of Chosunmal from China's three northeastern provinces, making teaching and learning even more challenging.

The National Unification Korean Dictionary Joint Compilation Project found in 2016 that 38% of everyday words differed between South Korea's Standard Korean Dictionary and North Korea's Chosunmal Dictionary. Graphic by Lee Jihyun

Modern Korean language education in China began in 1946 with the establishment of the Department of Korean Language at Peking University. Later, institutions such as the University of International Business and Economics (1951), Luoyang Foreign Language University (1956), Yanbian University (1972), and Beijing International Studies University (1972) became centers for Korean language education. As of December 2025, according to the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHESICC), 123 four-year universities in China operate Korean language departments, producing 4,500 to 5,000 graduates each year.

There is now a sense that the popularity of the Korean language, which once enjoyed an upward trend, is not what it used to be. Although Korean language education in China has an 80-year history, experts view the period before the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China in 1992 as a preparatory phase, with full-scale education beginning in the early 1990s.

In June 2023, the Department of Korean Language at Peking University, China's top university, conducted an additional recruitment for new undergraduate students. The department, which selects 15 students each year to maintain a total of 60, failed to fill its quota. A Chinese college admissions information company analyzed, "This was either due to a lack of applicants or insufficient scores," adding, "It shows the shaky status of the Korean language in China."

However, Chinese interest in the Korean language has not disappeared entirely. According to data from the Korea Educational Development Institute, as of 2024, there are 76,541 Chinese students studying at higher education institutions in South Korea, accounting for 30.2% of all international students (253,434).

Zhao Yufei, a Chinese international student studying media and communication in South Korea, said, "The deterioration of South Korea-China relations and the intensifying youth employment crisis are the reasons for the decline in Korean language majors." He explained, "It is difficult to find a job with only a Korean language major, so students need to double major in law, business, finance, media, or pursue a master's degree. However, the time and financial burden is high, leading students to avoid it."

Yoon Haeyeon, a professor at Nanjing University, stated, "The decrease in the number of four-year universities in China with Korean language departments from 125 in December 2020 to 123 this year reflects the trend of university restructuring," emphasizing, "To enhance competitiveness, Korean language departments need to diversify and upgrade their curricula."

In fact, Korean language majors in China point out problems such as a uniform curriculum, the mixing of Chosunmal and Korean, inconsistent textbooks, and a lack of materials for advanced courses. Above all, there is a strong sense of anxiety that language-focused education alone makes it difficult to survive in the job market after graduation.

Kim Seongran, a professor in the Department of Korean Language at Beijing Language and Culture University, pointed out, "Currently, Korean language curricula in China are excessively focused on language, making it difficult for graduates to be competitive in the job market." She further advised, "A national certification system for teachers of Korean as a foreign language should be introduced, so that only those who have completed a certain level of teacher training can teach in the classroom."