Comparison of Anesthesiology Related Terminology between South and North Korea

Kim, Won Oak; Kil, Hae Keum; Kang, Jeong Wan; Kim, Kwang Hee

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Terminology is a good index of reflections in conceptional imaginations, trends and technological advances in the field of their own. The goal of this study was to compare the similarity and difference of terms in anesthesiology to evaluate the communicability between South and North Korea. These results may be particularly helpful during the next step of making glossary, academic communication and the searching of social unity at the time of reunion.
METHODS
Several books and indexes written in South and North Korea and data from seminars were obtained. Multiple terms were then drawn from these data. These terms were used to make a comparison between South and North side.
RESULTS
Both side does not use a Chinese character in their books and indexes, even though many terms stem from a Chinese character. North side had more terms of native language than South side. There were some different terms because of each others rules of grammar. Several terms were confusedly used in both side. In some of combined terms, words were reversed in their orders.
CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that terminology using in South and North Korea in the field of anesthesiology is not so far way and both side can be capable of communication without any difficulty. But both have many areas to be filled with terms of native language to have identity.