Why are Korean names spelled in different ways with the Roman alphabet?

Korean names and words are spelled in various ways when written in the Roman alphabet because there is no single, universally mandated system for transcription. Instead, different conventions are used depending on the context, such as academic research or personal preference.1

The primary reasons for these variations include:

• Different Romanization Systems: Linguists and scholars often utilize the Yale romanization, which prioritizes reflecting the underlying Korean orthography. In contrast, the McCune-Reischauer system is frequently used for general purposes because it attempts to transcribe words based on how they sound to an English speaker's ear.1
• Phonetic vs. Morphophonemic Focus: Systems differ in whether they prioritize the pronunciation of a word—including how sounds change based on their position—or the consistent spelling of the word's base elements. For example, the McCune-Reischauer system notes changes in voicing and liquid sounds (like l and r), whereas other systems ignore these shifts to maintain a constant spelling.12
• Historical and Regional Shifts: Pronunciation changes over time and across regions, such as the North and South Korean differences regarding initial liquids, have led to diverse spellings for the same names, such as the surname commonly romanized as Lee, Yi, Rhee, or Ri.12