북한 사람
bukhan saram
The English phrase 'north korean' refers to a person from North Korea in Korean, primarily using the term 북한 사람 (bukhan saram).
북한 사람 is used to refer to a person from North Korea. When you want to describe something that pertains to North Korea, you should use the adjective forms 북한의 or 북조선의.
Meaning: person from North Korea (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 북한 사람 is composed of 북한, which means North Korea and 사람, which means person.
Which one should you use?
Use 북한 사람 to refer to a person from North Korea, whereas 북한의 is used as an adjective to describe things pertaining to North Korea.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While 북한 사람 is the standard term in South Korea, the term 북조선인 is a formal term to refer to someone from North Korea. In North Korea, the term 북조선 사람 is the term used within North Korea to refer to its citizens.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
bukhan saram
Did you know?
- The word 사람 is a doublet of the word 삶, which means 'life'. Both words share the same linguistic root meaning 'to live'.
- Calling someone a 조선 사람 can be a loaded phrase, as it might signal a political preference for a shared ethnic identity rather than a division by North and South.
- In South Korean media and official documents, you will often see 북한 사람 replaced by the term 탈북자 when referring specifically to defectors.
Examples in context
- 그분은 북한 사람이에요.geubun-eun bukhan saram-ieyo.That person is a North Korean.
- 북한 사람을 만났어요.bukhan saram-eul mannasseoyo.I met a North Korean.
- 친구가 북한 사람이라고 했어요.chingu-ga bukhan saram-irago haesseoyo.My friend said they are North Korean.
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun are discussing a news report about a visitor.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨, 저 뉴스에 나온 분은 누구예요?Minjun ssi, jeo nyuseu-e naon bun-eun nuguyeyo?Minjun, who is that person in the news?
- 민준 Min-jun아, 저분은 북한 사람이에요.A, jeobun-eun bukhan saram-ieyo.Ah, that person is a North Korean.
- 수빈 Su-bin그렇군요. 정말 놀라워요.Geureokgunyo. Jeongmal nollawoyo.I see. That is very surprising.
- 민준 Min-jun맞아요, 수빈 씨.Majayo, Subin ssi.You're right, Subin.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “north korean” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 북한, 사람, CC BY-SA 4.0.
