What Are People From North Korea Called?

The term 'North Korean' and the name North Korea share the same etymological roots as South Korea, deriving from 'Goryeo' (고려), the medieval Korean kingdom that gave the peninsula its Western name. However, North Korea officially uses different nomenclature that reflects its distinct political ideology and historical interpretation. The country's official name is the 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea' (DPRK), but more significantly, in Korean it is called 'Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk' (조선민주주의인민공화국).

The key distinction lies in North Korea's use of 'Joseon' (조선) rather than 'Hanguk', the term preferred in South Korea. 'Joseon' references the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the last unified Korean kingdom before Japanese colonization, which ruled for over 500 years and is considered a golden age of Korean culture, philosophy, and scientific achievement. The dynasty's name derives from 'Gojoseon' (고조선, c. 2333 BCE-108 BCE), meaning 'Old Joseon', which according to Korean foundation mythology was established by the legendary king Dangun. By adopting 'Joseon', North Korea emphasizes continuity with pre-division Korean history and rejects the 'Han' terminology used by South Korea.

During the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), Korea was officially called 'Chōsen' (朝鮮) in Japanese, the Japanese reading of the same Chinese characters for Joseon. After liberation from Japan in 1945, the peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel, with Soviet forces occupying the north and American forces the south. This division became permanent after the Korean War (1950-1953), which ended in an armistice but never a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war.

In North Korean ideology, 'Joseon saram' (조선 사람) or 'Joseon-in' (조선인) refers to all ethnic Koreans, emphasizing the unity of the Korean people across the division. The term 'Bukjoseon' (북조선, North Joseon) is sometimes used informally, though the official designation remains DPRK. The North Korean government considers itself the legitimate government of the entire Korean peninsula, as does South Korea, creating parallel claims of sovereignty.

The demonym 'North Korean' in English is a geographical descriptor distinguishing nationals of the DPRK from those of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). In international discourse, the terms 'North Korea/South Korea' are standard, though the DPRK officially prefers 'DPRK/ROK' or 'Joseon/Hanguk'. The division of nomenclature—Joseon versus Hanguk—mirrors the deep political, ideological, and social divisions that have characterized the peninsula since 1945, despite sharing a common language, ethnic heritage, and pre-1945 history.