North Korea Introduced New Language Rule for Guides
North Korea has attracted public attention with a new and unusual decision. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
A new training program has been established for guides working in the tourism sector in the country. This program requires guides not to use words borrowed from English and South Korea in their speech.
This was reported by the Daily NK publication. According to the information, from August 21, training courses for guides began throughout the country.
The courses are supervised by the Personnel Department of the Korean Workers' Party. Each group consists of 20-30 students.
The training program includes not only professional preparation but also behavior, communication style with tourists, and dress code. The most important aspect is the guides' speech.
Government officials paid special attention to the choice of words and expressions. For example, instead of "hamburger," it is recommended to use the long description "two-layer bread with minced beef."
Instead of the word "ice cream," the expressions "Eskimo" or "icy confectionery" should be used. For the widely used South Korean word "karaoke," the phrase "machine for performing songs on screen" was recommended.
The main goal of the program is to teach guides to use only North Korean vocabulary. Words borrowed from foreign languages, especially those coming from the southern neighbor, must be completely eliminated.
However, one of the trainees told journalists that sometimes it is necessary to use foreign words because tourists only understand them that way. At the same time, it was emphasized that a guide who speaks incorrectly may be expelled from the program.
The training course lasts three months. At the end, trainees take an exam and are hired based on the results.
The country has been closed to tourists since 2020 due to the pandemic. Only in February 2024 did the first tourist group from Russia visit Pyongyang and the ski resort.
Also, in the summer of 2025, one of North Korea's major projects — the Wonsan-Kalma resort complex — began operations. Experts believe that this decision marks a new stage in the country's tourism policy along with language policy.
