South Korean-North Korean translator

South and North Koreans use the same language... but decades of division and internal cultural changes have made it increasingly difficult for them to understand each other′s dialects.

It′s a hurdle many North Korean defectors have to overcome, but this smartphone app that we′re about to show you might be able to help.

Ji Myung-kil tells us more.

These young North Korean defectors are taking on a new language.

They′re learning to speak like a South Korean.

Surprisingly, these students, and many like them, say one of the biggest problems they face is the language barrier.

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"It was like people were talking to me in a foreign language and I was too embarrassed to ask my friends what the words meant. I felt alienated."

According to a 2012 study by the National Institute of the Korean Language,... North Korean defectors understand only half of the language used in South Korea.

To help them overcome these communication issues, Cheil Worldwide teamed up with local non-profits to develop a smartphone app called Univoca  it′s a South Korean-North Korean translator and dictionary.

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"We realized late in the game that young North Korean defectors would have problems reading school textbooks and solving questions due to differences in culture and dialect."

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"This app will give North Korean students the courage and motivation to learn as it also offers some privacy while they study."

Teachers hope the app will help bridge communication between South and North Korean students,... and make resettlement a little easier for defectors in the South.

Ji Myung-kil, Arirang News.