Editor’s Note
This article examines the curious naming conventions in Cheongna, South Korea, highlighting the prevalence of gemstone-themed road names despite the area having no historical link to precious stones. It also touches on the broader use of foreign loanwords in local nomenclature.
There are quite a few road names related to gemstones in this area, but in reality, the Cheongna district has no particular connection to gemstones.
In Cheongna, not only gemstone names but also road names using foreign loanwords are unusually abundant, such as Business-ro, Cheongna Canal-ro, and Robot Land-ro.
Recently, local governments have been promoting ‘Proper Use of Public Language’ projects, encouraging restraint in the indiscriminate use of foreign loanwords. However, it is practically impossible to change names that have been solidified over the eight years since the full implementation of the road name address system in 2014.
