Korean name romanizer: Hangul to Latin letters

How to romanize Korean names for documents

This tool converts Korean surnames and given names written in Hangul into Latin-letter forms for comparing documents, reading names and preparing contact details. It does not generate an English or Spanish personal name, translate a name meaning, or convert arbitrary Latin names into Hangul. The main result uses surname-first uppercase style familiar from Korean passports. Four additional forms provide hyphens, spaces and two given-name-first variants. Each has its own copy button. Before using a result for travel or an application, match the person's existing passport or other identity document rather than choosing a new spelling because it looks familiar.

Three sources are shown separately: the built-in Korean MOFA recommendation list, a direct application of the Korean romanization rules, and customary surname spellings in historical passport samples. Their values can differ: Bak and Pak appear in the recommendation list for the surname often written Park. A default choice considers sample usage among listed MOFA options; it is not necessarily the first listed spelling. The usage figures are from the 2011 report on 2010 passports, with a separate 2007 sample for Kim, Lee and Park. They do not describe today's population. All conversion and selection run in your browser, without uploading or storing the entered name.

How to use

1. Enter the surname and given name in complete Hangul syllables. A full name in one field is split using the built-in compound-surname list.
2. Review the selected spelling and choose the surname form that matches existing family or personal documents. The default considers usage within the MOFA list; it is not always the first listed option.
3. Compare any rule-based difference and the dated usage sample before settling on a consistent spelling.
4. Copy a joined or hyphenated form when appropriate for your passport; use given-name-first forms for email or business cards. Match travel bookings to the actual passport.
5. Before applying, check the same name in the official Korean MOFA search and confirm the chosen spelling with the passport office.

Why MOFA options and customary spellings differ

Korean romanization rules and established personal spellings serve different purposes. A direct rule-based surname form can be Gim, Bak or Choe, while a person already uses Kim, Park or Choi on official documents. The MOFA search includes several familiar variants, and historical passport tables show additional customary spellings. None of these columns alone decides the correct spelling for a particular person. This tool keeps the columns separate so you can compare them, retain an established identity and ask the Korean passport office about a first application or an exceptional case. It does not apply United States or Spanish passport rules.

Joined, hyphenated or spaced: choosing a format

For Korean passports, joining given-name syllables is the general form and hyphens are allowed between syllables; the official guidance also describes optional spacing. GILDONG is compact, while GIL-DONG makes the syllable boundary clearer. These choices are not interchangeable once identity documents and valid visas use a particular spelling. Match the actual passport when booking travel and check official guidance before changing an established form. Given-name-first forms such as Gildong Hong can be useful for email signatures or business cards, but they do not change the surname/given-name fields printed on the passport.

Name romanization preserves the written syllables

The Korean personal-name rule does not apply every pronunciation change that occurs in ordinary speech. The Bitna example therefore produces BITNA rather than BINNA, and Boknam remains BOKNAM. The joined-name engine retains the syllable-boundary behavior compared against the 2026-09-16 MOFA sample, including HAGIN, SEONU, SEOLA, DALLAE and JOKO. Hyphenated forms romanize syllables separately, giving HAK-IN and SEOL-A. These distinctions are preserved across all three interface languages; changing the interface language does not change the selected spelling or convert the name into a culturally different name.

Changing a Korean passport name can be difficult

A Korean passport Latin-letter name is an identity reference abroad, so changing it is restricted to defined circumstances. MOFA guidance discusses clear pronunciation mismatches, established overseas use, family spelling, certain dictionary meanings, legal name changes and other specified cases. The 50% or 10,000-person rule concerns limits on correcting an established spelling, not a recommendation to choose whatever is most popular. The tool warns about 11 dictionary examples from that guidance, including GANG, SIN, KILL, NO and BIN. A warning is not an automatic rejection or permission to change a name. Compare existing family and identity documents, then consult the Korean passport office about eligibility and any supporting evidence required.

Results are reference spellings based on Korean romanization and public MOFA materials. The Korean passport office decides the final accepted spelling. Check existing passports, family spellings and matching foreign-name exceptions directly with that office.