The official Korean-language spelling of Mongolia's capital will change from "Ulanbator" to "Ulaanbaatar," South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Wednesday.

The ministry, led by Minister Choi Hwi-young, and the National Institute of Korean Language reviewed a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (led by Minister Cho Hyun) to change the Korean spelling of the Mongolian capital and decided to finalize the change from "Ulanbator" to "Ulaanbaatar."

According to the culture ministry, the Korean spelling of Mongolia's capital had customarily been written as "Ulanbator (UlanBator)." However, this spelling differs from the local Mongolian spelling and pronunciation, causing administrative inconveniences. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reflecting the opinions of Korean citizens and Mongolian locals, requested the culture ministry to review changing the Korean spelling from "Ulanbator," a form long used based on the Russian transliteration, to "Ulaanbaatar," based on the Mongolian spelling. In the currently used Russian language (Cyrillic script), the name is written as "Улаанбаатар."

The culture ministry and the National Institute of Korean Language convened the "First 2026 National Institute of Korean Language Foreign Proper Noun Review Committee" to resolve confusion surrounding the Korean spelling of the Mongolian capital. The committee reviewed the Korean spelling based on local pronunciation and local script, and decided to adopt "Ulaanbaatar."

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "Mongolia had requested the spelling change considering the close relationship between Korea and Mongolia, and there have been steady inquiries from citizens due to spelling confusion, so we welcome this review decision. We believe this decision will contribute to the future-oriented development of bilateral relations and the spread of friendly perceptions between the peoples of both countries," the culture ministry conveyed.

Published Date:2026-03-25