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Korean name romanizer (Hangul → English)

Free Korean name to English converter using the official Revised Romanization of Korean (국어의 로마자 표기법): surname first, no sound changes, plus common passport surname spellings like Kim, Lee, Park.

Korean name in Hangul (surname first, e.g. 김민준) Hyphen between given-name syllables (Min-jun) — allowed by the official rules

The official rules for names

Korea's Revised Romanization of Korean (국어의 로마자 표기법), set by the National Institute of Korean Language, says personal names are written surname first, then a space, then the given name as one word; a hyphen between given-name syllables is allowed. Crucially, sound changes inside a name are not reflected (e.g. 한복남 → Han Boknam, not Han Bongnam), so this tool converts syllable by syllable.

Why does my surname look different?

The rules note that surname spellings will be set separately, and many families use long-established forms: 이 → Lee/Yi (official: I), 박 → Park (Bak), 김 → Kim (Gim), 최 → Choi (Choe). Both columns are shown above. For forms, always match your passport exactly.

Letters used

Initial ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㄹ = g d b r; final ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㄹ = k t p l; ㄹㄹ = ll; vowels ㅓ = eo, ㅡ = eu, ㅢ = ui, ㅐ = ae, ㅚ = oe.

FAQ

How do you write a Korean name in English officially?

Surname, a space, then the given name as one word (hyphen optional), following the Revised Romanization of Korean. Sound changes within names are not reflected.

Why is 이 written Lee and not I?

Surnames traditionally use established spellings. The official romanization of 이 is I, but Lee, Yi and Rhee are common in passports.

Can I change my passport romanization?

Only in limited cases. Use the spelling already in your passport for all official forms.