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How it works
- 홍길동 is Hong Gildong, or Hong Gil-dong with a hyphen. Passport style: HONG GILDONG.
- Names are written letter by letter. Place names follow the sound.
- Surnames show both the official spelling (Gim) and long-used ones (Kim).
- If you already have a Korean passport, keep its English spelling.
Common Korean names in English letters
| Hangul | Revised Romanization | With hyphen | Passport style | Common surname spelling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 김민준 | Gim Minjun | Gim Min-jun | GIM MINJUN | Kim Minjun |
| 이서연 | I Seoyeon | I Seo-yeon | I SEOYEON | Lee Seoyeon, Yi Seoyeon, Rhee Seoyeon |
| 박지훈 | Bak Jihun | Bak Ji-hun | BAK JIHUN | Park Jihun, Pak Jihun |
| 최수아 | Choe Sua | Choe Su-a | CHOE SUA | Choi Sua |
| 정우진 | Jeong Ujin | Jeong U-jin | JEONG UJIN | Jung Ujin, Chung Ujin |
| 강하은 | Gang Haeun | Gang Ha-eun | GANG HAEUN | Kang Haeun |
| 조현우 | Jo Hyeonu | Jo Hyeon-u | JO HYEONU | Cho Hyeonu |
| 윤지민 | Yun Jimin | Yun Ji-min | YUN JIMIN | Yoon Jimin |
| 한복남 | Han Boknam | Han Bok-nam | HAN BOKNAM | Same |
| 남궁민수 | Namgung Minsu | Namgung Min-su | NAMGUNG MINSU | Namkoong Minsu, Namkung Minsu |
한복남 is an example from the official romanization rules.
How Korean names are romanized
Korea's official system is the Revised Romanization of Korean (국어의 로마자 표기법). Write the surname first, then a space, then the given name as one word. A hyphen between the syllables of the given name is allowed. Sound changes inside a name are not written: 한복남 sounds like [한봉남] but is Han Boknam. Place names are different and follow the sound, so 종로 is Jongno.
Surnames: official rule and common spellings
The rules say surnames will be set separately, and no such list has been issued yet. So this tool shows the letter-by-letter spelling (for 김 that is Gim, for 이 I, for 박 Bak) and the spellings people have long used, like Kim, Lee and Park. The rules also allow names to keep spellings already in use.
| Surname | Official rule | Common spellings |
|---|---|---|
| 김 | Gim | Kim |
| 이 | I | Lee, Yi, Rhee |
| 박 | Bak | Park, Pak |
| 최 | Choe | Choi |
| 정 | Jeong | Jung, Chung |
| 강 | Gang | Kang |
| 조 | Jo | Cho |
| 윤 | Yun | Yoon |
| 장 | Jang | Chang |
| 임 | Im | Lim |
| 한 | Han | Same |
| 오 | O | Oh |
| 서 | Seo | Suh |
| 신 | Sin | Shin |
| 권 | Gwon | Kwon |
| 황 | Hwang | Same |
| 안 | An | Ahn |
| 송 | Song | Same |
| 류 | Ryu | Yoo, Yu |
| 전 | Jeon | Jun |
| 홍 | Hong | Same |
| 고 | Go | Ko |
| 문 | Mun | Moon |
| 양 | Yang | Same |
| 손 | Son | Same |
| 배 | Bae | Same |
| 백 | Baek | Paik |
| 허 | Heo | Huh |
| 유 | Yu | Yoo, Ryu |
| 남 | Nam | Same |
| 심 | Sim | Shim |
| 노 | No | Noh, Roh |
Korean passports
For a Korean passport, the Hangul name in the family relations register is romanized syllable by syllable under the official rules. The given name is written as one word, and a hyphen between syllables is allowed. Once a passport has an English name, later passports keep it. It can be changed at reissue only for reasons listed in the Enforcement Decree of the Passport Act, such as a legal name change, a spelling clearly different from the Korean pronunciation, or matching a family member's surname when traveling together.
FAQ
How do I write my Korean name in English?
Put the surname first, then the given name as one word, using the Revised Romanization. 홍길동 is Hong Gildong, or Hong Gil-dong with a hyphen. On a passport it appears as HONG GILDONG.
Is 김 Kim or Gim?
Letter by letter it is Gim, but the rules leave surnames open. Kim is the long-used spelling and is fine. Matching your family's spelling matters most.
Is 이 Lee, Yi or I?
Letter by letter it is I. Lee, Yi and Rhee are long-used spellings. If you already have a passport, use the same spelling.
Should I put a hyphen in my given name?
Either way is correct. The romanization rules and the passport rules both allow a hyphen between syllables: Hong Gildong or Hong Gil-dong.
How do I get my name in Hangul if I cannot type Korean?
Copy it from a Korean document saved as a PDF, a message from family, or a Korean website that shows your name, and paste it into the box. You can also add a Korean keyboard in your phone settings.
Sources
- Revised Romanization of Korean (국어의 로마자 표기법), Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Notice No. 2014-42, effective December 5, 2014, National Institute of Korean Language: Chapter 2 tables, Chapter 3 paragraph 1 (sound changes), paragraph 2 (hyphens), paragraph 4 (personal names; surnames set separately), paragraph 7 (spellings already in use)
- Passport Act (여권법) Article 7-2: romanized names in passports
- Enforcement Decree of the Passport Act (여권법 시행령) Article 3-2, effective March 1, 2026: reasons for changing the romanized name
- Enforcement Rule of the Passport Act (여권법 시행규칙) Article 2-2, effective June 1, 2026: the Hangul name in the family relations register is romanized syllable by syllable, given name as one word, hyphen allowed
Rules last checked on October 7, 2026.
Not included
- Which surname spelling is used most (no official statistics checked)
- Names with Chinese characters or Latin letters mixed in
- English names of companies and organizations
- Romanization of road name addresses