Countries in Korean - The Complete List of Country Names (2024)

We will cover the complete list of countries in Korean categorized by continent in this article.

This list of country names will be extremely valuable when learning the Korean language. If you plan to have conversations in Korean or just learn the language for fun, you will for sure be asked about where you are from.

Here is a free PDF guide with a list of countries in the world in Korean that you can download and take with you:

Using this list of every country in the world in Korean

We’ve already learned how to introduce yourself in Korean. And as you may know, through that lesson and your other international experiences, where you come from is often part of the introduction process.

The next time you get asked, you will easily tell your new Korean friends where you’re from in their language. And you’ll also be able to understand when your other international friends tell you in Korean where they’re from!

We’ve divided the names of countries into categories based on the continent. They are listed in alphabetical order in English, with the Korean words next to them.

What are all the countries in the world called in Korean?

We’ve listed down the different country names in Korean grouped under their respective continents. Try looking for your home country in the list of all countries below and learn how to say it in Korean.

You can also watch the video below that will teach you the Korean names of some countries in the world.

Europe – Country Names in Korean

To start, we have listed the different countries that belong to Europe below. The list includes each country’s names in Korean and how they are pronounced.

“Europe” in Korean

The word for “Europe” in Korean is 유럽 (yureop). Quite easy to remember as they sound the same, right?

Here are the European country names in Korean. Some of the words in Korean may sound like the country name, and others may not.

“Germany” in Korean

The country Germany is expressed as 독일 (dogil) in Korean. Germans are called as 독일인 (dogilin) or 독일 사람 (dogil saram).

There are two words used for the “German language” which are 독일어 (dogileo) or 독일의 국어 (dogileui gukeo).

“France” in Korean

프랑스 (peurangseu) is the word used to talk about the country France. The word French is used for people and the language used in France.

“Spain” in Korean

The word for “Spain” in Korean is 스페인 (seupein).

“Ukraine” in Korean

The word for “Ukraine” in Korean is 우크라이나 (ukeuraina).

Asia – Country Names in Korean

Next is the list of countries in Asia in Korean, the largest continent in the world.

“Asia” in Korean

The word for “Asia” in Korean is still 아시아 (asia). Here is a list of the Asian country names in Korean.

Is Korea a country?

Yes, Korea is a country located in East Asia. This country is divided into two, namely, South Korea and North Korea.

Below are the Korean names for the country of Korea.

“South Korea” in Korean

South Korea in Korean is 대한민국 (daehanminguk).

If you’re interested in learning more about this country, we have articles focusing on the Korean culture, language, national flag, and more in our blog.

“North Korea” in Korean

The Democratic People’s Republic or North Korea is called 북한 (bukan).

Following the terms for North and South Korea in Korean above, Korea as a whole is called 한국 (hanguk). The people and the Korean language are both called Korean in English. However, there are different Korean words for both.

The people are called 한국인 (hangukin) and 한국 사람 (hanguk saram), while the language is called 한국어 (hangukeo).

“China” in Korean

중국 (jungguk) is the Korean word for China.

“Japan” in Korean

“Japan” in Korean is called 일본 (ilbon).

“Taiwan” in Korean

The word for “Taiwan” in Korean is 대만 (daeman). However, you can also use 타이완 (taiwan) which also sounds like “Taiwan.”

Taiwanese people are called 타이완 사람 (taiwan saram).

“Thailand” in Korean

You can say “Thailand” in Korean as 태국 (taeguk).

This is where Lisa from the popular K-pop group, Blackpink, is from.

“India” in Korean

The word for “India” in Korean is 인도 (indo). Indian people are called 인도 사람 (indo saram) in Korean.

However, the word 인도 (indo) has several meanings in Korean. As a sino-Korean word, 인도 (indo) can mean “transfer” and “guidance.” It also refers to “pavement” or “sidewalk.”

Africa – Country Names in Korean

Below are the Korean names of countries that belong to Africa, along with the Korean term for “Africa.”

“Africa” in Korean

The Korean word for “Africa” is 아프리카 (apeurika). Here are the African country names in Korean.

The Americas – Country Names in Korean

Listed below are the different countries in North and South America and what each of them is called in Korean.

“America” in Korean

For this continent, you can say it as 아메리카 (amerika) in Korean.

Here is how you say the country names of North, Central, and South America in Korean.

“United States” in Korean

The USA is expressed as 미국 (miguk) in Korean. The language used in the USA is English, which is expressed as 영어 (yeongeo), but if you want to say American English, you can say it as 미국 영어 (miguk yeongeo).

Oceania – Country Names in Korean

Lastly, there’s Oceania. Listed below are the countries that fall under Oceania with their Korean terms.

“Oceania” in Korean

You can say “Oceania” in Korean as 오세아니아 (oseania).

Here are the country names of Oceania in Korean. Note that some names may be said in two different ways. For example, Australia can be 호주 (hoju) or 오스트레일리아 (oseuteureillia).

The former is the original Korean version, which is used most of the time. The latter is the spelling of the English translation using the Korean alphabet. You are free to use either one.

“Australia” in Korean

You can say Australia in 2 ways, which are 호주 (hoju) or 오스트레일리아 (oseuteureillia). Australians are called 오스트레일리아 사람 (oseuteureillia saram).

“Language” in Korean

The Korean word for “language” is 언어 (eoneo). However, if you’re talking about a specific language, you can learn how to say them below.

Languages in Korean

In many cases, you can express the languages of these countries by adding an 어 (eo) to the end of the country names.

For example, the word for Japan is 일본 (ilbon). If you are learning the Japanese language, you are learning 일본어 (ilboneo).

Korea is 한국 (hanguk). If you are learning the Korean language, you’re learning 한국어 (hangugeo). China is 중국 (jungguk), and the Chinese language is 중국어 (junggugeo).

This works in many cases but not for every country and language.

“Nationality” in Korean

The word for “nationality” in Korean is 국적 (gukjeok). Knowing this word is important when you’re filling out an official document in Korea. You can write your country name in that section.

List of Nationalities in Korean

If you’re talking about your nationality, you can simply add 사람 (saram) to your country name. The word 사람 (saram) means “person.”

You might have gotten a clue through the examples above. If you wanted to say Korean person, you would say the country name and add 사람 (saram).

Here are some examples of nationalities in Korean:

“Korean” in Korean

The Korean word for “Korean” as nationality is 한국 사람 (hanguk saram). This word is a combination of Korea which is 한국 (hanguk) in Korean, and 사람 (saram).

“Chinese” in Korean

Chinese people are called 중국인 (junggukin) or 중국 사람 (jungguk saram), and Chinese language is called 중국어 (junggukeo).

“American” in Korean

Americans are called 미국인 (migukin) or 미국 사람 (miguk saram). “American English” is translated to Korean as 미국 영어 (miguk yeongeo).

“Japanese” in Korean

Japanese people are called 일본인 (ilbonin) or 일본 사람 (ilbon saram), and the language is 일본어 (ilboneo).

“French” in Korean

In Korean, 프랑스인 (peurangseuin) is used for “French people,” and 프랑스어 (peurangseueo) is for the “French language.”

“Spanish” in Korean

The Spanish language is called 스페인어 (seupeineo) in Korean.

Now you know the correct vocabulary for the various country names in Korean. These words are a foundational part of the language, so get used to hearing and speaking them. Before we finish off, here are the other common words related to countries in Korean.

“World” in Korean

There are two ways to say “world” in Korean, these are 세계 (segye) and 세상 (sesang).

세계 (segye) refers to the “world” in a geographical sense which is comprised of several countries. On the other hand, 세상 (sesang) refers to the place where life exists.

However, if you mean to talk about the planet Earth, you can use the term 지구 (jigu).

“Country” in Korean

“Country” in Korean is 나라 (nara).

However, there’s also another Korean word for “country,” which is discussed in a separate article.

Wrap Up

Studying the names of each country in Korean is a great and fun way to learn Korean. Soon enough, you’ll be able to name every country in the world. To boost your vocabulary, we have a list of common English words translated into Korean here.

If your country is missing us from the list of country names in Korean, let us know, and we will help you. Otherwise, tell us in the comments where you’re from – in Korean! We’d love to know where on the globe you are at.