North Korean Vocabulary
by Richardson ~ November 27th, 2006. Filed under: Korean Language. Hangŭl: 로동 (노동 in South Korea)
Romanization: Rodong / Nodong
English: Work, labor
Notes: This word is strongly assosicated with the communit party in Korea, for example, the Korean Workers Party (조선로동당), The Rodong Shinmun (Workers Newspaper, 로동신문), and even the North Korean version of the scud missile, the Rodong-1.
Hangŭl: 동지 / 동무
Romanization: Dongji / Dongmu
English: Comrade, friend, companion.
Notes: While both 동지 and 동무 can be translated as “comrade,” 동지 leans more towards the comrade meaning and is more formal (i.e., 김정일동지, or “Comrade Kim Jong-il). 동무 is closer to “friend” (친구, ch’in-gu), and in fact was used in at least parts of South Korea until the late 1970s. My wife, who attended elementary and middle school outside of Seoul, remembers using the word 동무 rather than 친구 for “friend,” until the use of 동무 was officially discouraged.
