Lost in translation: The linguistic challenges facing N. Korean defectors (2025)

One of the linguistic shocks faced by North Korean defectors upon their arrival in South Korea involves the relationship between the words nakji and ojingeo. In South Korea, these words mean “octopus” and “squid” respectively, but in North Korea, the meanings are reversed. One defector recalls inviting South Korean coworkers to have soju with ojingeo. […]