Today, the most recognizable spelling of Korea begins with a “K”, but what many may not know is that the most popular spelling for the country’s English name was Corea! Though the “K” spelling is now the official spelling for both North and South Korea, there has been a recent resurgence of Koreans wishing to refer to their home country “Corea” again. But where did this spelling originate from?

As with other European languages, English historically had a variety of names for Korea, the majority of which began with “C.” The modern spelling, "Korea", first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Company's Hendrick Hamel.

Both major English-speaking governments in the 19th and 20th centuries (the United States and the United Kingdom and its empire) used both "Korea" and "Corea" until the early part of the period of Japanese occupation. Though English-language publications in the 19th century generally used the spelling Corea, the then U.S. minister and consul general to Korea, Horace Newton Allen, used "Korea" in his works published on the country.

Over time, the general rule is that Germanic languages (such as English) will favor the K spelling, and Latin languages favor the C spelling. Now, as English has become the most widely-spoken Germanic language, it’s easy to see how the “K” spelling became the standardized way to romanize the name “Korea.”

With that in mind, however, we decided to create designs featuring the “C” spelling in order to honor Korea’s past and how the country originally presented itself to the world as it connected with other nations.

What do you think of the “K” and the “C” spellings of Korea? Let us know in the comments down below!

For more on Korean history and clothing, read our blog:

Evolution of the Korean Hanbok