Dialects of Korean - Definition and Overview

The Korean language is spoken in a number of different dialects around the Korean peninsula. The peninsula is extremely mountainous, and each dialect's "territory" corresponds closely to the natural boundaries between different geographical regions. Most of the dialects are named for one of Korea's traditional Eight Provinces.

Standard dialects

• Seoul Dialect is the standard dialect in South Korea, and is spoken in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi in South Korea, as well as around Kaesŏng in North Korea.
• P'yŏng'an Dialect is the standard dialect in North Korea, and is spoken in P'yŏngyang, the P'yŏng'an region, and Chagang Province.

Regional dialects

• Chungcheong Dialect is used in the Chungcheong region of South Korea, including the city of Daejeon.
• Gangwon Dialect is used in Gangwon Province in South Korea and neighbouring Kangwŏn Province in North Korea.
• Gyeongsang Dialect is used in the Gyeongsang (Yeongnam) region of South Korea, including the cities of Busan, Daegu, and Ulsan.
• Hamgyŏng Dialect is used in the Hamgyŏng region and Ryanggang Province of North Korea.
• Hwanghae Dialect is used in the Hwanghae region of North Korea.
• Jeolla Dialect is used in the Jeolla (Honam) region of South Korea, including the city of Gwangju.
• Jeju Dialect is spoken on Jeju Island, off the southwest coast of South Korea.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Eight Provinces (Korea)
• Regions of Korea