[2025 National Audit] 430,000 New Words Proposed by Citizens, but Only 22.4% Accepted

Jin Jongoh: "No Notification on Reasons for Rejection"
Only Three Experts Handle the Process
"System Effectiveness Must Be Enhanced"

It has been 10 years since the National Institute of the Korean Language implemented the citizen participation-based "Urimalsam" system, but there are criticisms that it has failed to fulfill its intended role due to a low acceptance rate and lack of transparency in its operation. Only one out of every five new words proposed by citizens is reflected in the dictionary, and the review and rejection process after submission is not disclosed, leading to criticism that it is a "black box system."

According to materials from the National Institute of the Korean Language released by Assemblyman Jin Jongoh of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on October 23, there were 438,932 new word proposals submitted by citizens to Urimalsam from October 2016 to September this year. Of these, only 98,062 words were ultimately accepted, resulting in an acceptance rate of just 22.4%.

Urimalsam is a system in which citizens can propose new words used in everyday life, which are then verified by experts and reflected in the Standard Korean Language Dictionary. The National Institute of the Korean Language explains, "When a citizen submits a proposal, a staff member determines whether it should be registered, and then it is reviewed by experts before being released."

However, actual operation has differed from its intended purpose. After submitting a proposal, proposers cannot check the status of their submission, such as "under review," "rejected," "on hold," or "accepted," nor do they receive notification of the outcome. For words like "daepesamgyeop," "reading rate," and "blood pressure ring," even the reasons for rejection are not shared.

According to the National Institute of the Korean Language, it takes on average between 1 year and 6 months to 2 years for a citizen-proposed word to be finally accepted. Due to such lengthy review periods and lack of transparency, participation has gradually declined. While there were as many as 85,705 submissions in 2022, the number began to decrease the following year, and as of September this year, only about 8,000 submissions had been received.

The National Institute of the Korean Language explained, "Three experts are responsible for all stages of the process, so there are limitations in handling the volume."

Assemblyman Jin stated, "In a situation where loanwords, neologisms, and abbreviations are rapidly spreading, a system that allows citizens to directly propose changes to the Korean language and have them reflected in the dictionary is highly meaningful," adding, "Improvements are needed as participation is declining due to insufficient communication with the public."

He further emphasized, "The National Institute of the Korean Language should operate a 'Korean Language Proposal Week,' promote awards for outstanding proposers, and collaborate with the Ministry of Education to incorporate proposals into school curricula. The effectiveness of the system must be enhanced so that citizens and students can actively participate in the evolution of the Korean language."