Romanization of names on S.Korean passports not to be easily changed: Seoul Court

The Seoul Administrative Court has ruled that the English spelling of names on South Korean passports cannot be easily changed.

The court ruled against the plaintiff surnamed Oh, who filed a complaint against an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to change the English spelling of his name on his passport.

Oh wanted to change a "U" to "EO" based on South Korea's romanization system.

The judge said the change is not required as the spelling is not a gross misinterpretation of the Korean pronunciation.

A Passport Act ordinance says passports with an English spelling that does not reflect the Korean pronunciation are to be changed.