Coronavirus Korean Vocabulary and Resources

As the Coronavirus progresses in South Korea, this article lists vocabulary and resources in English and Korean to stay on top of the infection if you are currently in South Korea. This page will get updated as more information is available.

What To Do

According to the CDC of Korea, for the general population (translated by KoniKorean):

  1. Wash your hands meticulously with soap under running water.
  2. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve.
  3. Do not touch your eyes, mouth, and nose with unwashed hands.
  4. Wear a mask when visiting a medical institution
  5. Refrain from visiting places with many people

More instructions forthcoming.

The call center number is 1339 if you have any fever or respiratory symptoms such as cough or sore throat and after staying in self-quarantine at home for 3 to 4 days or if symptoms are severe (such as temperature above 38 degrees).

Coronavirus-related Korean Vocabulary

코로나바이러스ko-ro-na-ba-i-reo-seuCorona virus
감염gam-yeominfection
감염증gam-yeom-jeunginfectious disease
감염경로gam-yeom-gyeong-roinfection route (channel)
입원ib-weonhospitalization
확산hwak-sanspread, transmission (of virus)
방지bang-jiprevention
고위험군go-wi-heom-gunhigh risk group
확진환자hwak-jin-hwan-jaconfirmed case (patient)
접촉jeop-chokcontact (e.g., transmission by contact)
호흡기ho-heup-girespiratory
증상jeung-sangsymptom
유증상자yu-jeung-sang-japerson with symptoms
호흡기 증상ho-heup-gi jeung-sangrespiratory symptom
호흡 곤란ho-heup gon-ranrespiratory difficulty
사망sa-mangdeath
사망자sa-mang-jadeceased person
숨지다/죽다sum-ji-da/juk-dato die
긴급/응급gin-geup/eung-geupemergency
환자를 이송하다hwan-ja-reul i-song-ha-dato transfer a patient
신천지예수교회sin-cheon-ji-ye-su-gyo-hoeShincheonji Church
신천지 교인sin-cheon-ji gyo-inShincheonji believer
대상자dae-sang-jacandidate
검진/검사geom-jin/geom-saexamination, checkup
치료/의료chi-ryo/eui-ryotreatment, medical treatment
자가격리ja-ga-gyeok-ri[ni]self-isolation, self-quarantine
자제하다ja-je-ha-dato refrain from (doing something)
보건당국bo-geon-dang-gukpublic health authorities
질병관리본부jil-byeong-gwan-ri-bon-buKorean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC or CDCK)
증가jeung-gaincrease
감소gam-sodecrease
추세chu-setrend
급증geup-jeungsudden increase
넘어서다neom-eo-seo-dato exceed
누적 확진자 수nu-jeok hwak-jin-ja sunumber of accumulated confirmed cases
폐쇄pye-swaeclosure (of a facility)
조치jo-chimeasure (as action to solve a problem)

Other Resources

Corona Map Live (KR): a map of the current coronavirus infections in South Korea, updated regularly.

WHO - Coronavirus information (EN): information about the coronavirus from the World Health Organization.