Pokémon in South Korea
Flag of South Korea
Language	Korean
Continent	Asia
Original animated series airdates
EP001	July 14, 1999
AG001	July 21, 2003
DP001	September 10, 2007
BW001	May 16, 2011
XY001	March 10, 2014
SM001	December 20, 2016 April 4, 2017
JN001	April 8, 2020
HZ001	August 23, 2023

ThePokémon (포켓몬스터, officially abbreviated as포켓몬) franchise first reachedSouth Korea in 1999, with the first airing ofPikachu, I Choose You! on theSeoul Broadcasting System. None of thefirst generation Pokémon games were released in South Korea, so it was not until the release ofPokémon Gold and Silver in 2002 that Pokémon games were released in South Korean stores.

History

Due to the rocky history betweenJapan and (South) Korea, Japanese cultural imports—such as manga, anime, video games, music, and movies—were banned by the South Korean government after Korean independence at the end ofWorld War II. This ban would be in effect throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s, particularly when video game consoles began to grow in popularity in Japan and the West. Many Korean companies would find ways around the ban, such as licensing American versions of Japanese consoles;Hyundai Electronics, for example, licensed the westernNintendo Entertainment System instead of the JapaneseFamily Computer (Famicom) and released it as the 현대 컴보이Hyundai Comboy. However, for other things, including Pokémon, there was no way around the ban; almost all Pokémon-related media of this time period would never officially make its way into South Korea. This included all of thefirst generation games; if anything Pokémon-related appeared in Korea, it was either a bootleg, a rip-off or an illegal version.

Eventually, South Korean and Japanese relations had warmed up to the point where the South Korean government's ban on Japanese cultural imports was partially lifted in October 1998^[1]. This in turn finally allowed for the release of some Pokémon titles in South Korea. In particular, the Pokémon animated series first appeared on Korean television in July 1999, while the Pokémon manga series,Pokémon Adventures (포켓몬스터 스페셜Pocket Monsters Special), was released in August 1999. The first Korean-languagecore series game would bePokémon Gold and Silver (포켓몬스터 금·은Pocket Monsters Geum·Eun), which saw a release in April 2002 by 대원씨아이Daewon C.I.; its delay may have been due to the difficulty of including theKorean language writing system in it. The game also came in a clear cartridge as opposed to the regularGame Boy-compatible cartridges. However, neitherPokémon Crystal nor thethird generation games would see a localized release in South Korea, potentially for the same difficulties involved in translation. There may have also been uncertainty on how to play those games, as Hyundai did not license a version of theGame Boy Color orGame Boy Advance for release in Korea. However, Daewon C.I. imported the Japanese version ofPokémon Ruby and Sapphire in South Korea under the title 포켓몬스터 루비·사파이어Pocket Monsters Ruby·Sapphire; while the back cover and a short game manual were translated into Korean, the rest of the game remained in Japanese^[2].

In January 2004, the South Korean government completely lifted its ban on Japanese cultural imports^[3], allowing Nintendo to officially operate in South Korea as 한국닌텐도(주)Nintendo of Korea, Inc. starting in July 2006^[4]. 포켓몬코리아Pokémon Korea, Inc. would begin its operations a month later^[5]. Despite this, Daewon C.I. still importedPokémon Diamond and Pearl as 포켓몬스터 다이아몬드·펄 (Pocket Monsters Diamond·Pearl) in Japanese with Korean covers in 2006, just as they did withPokémon Ruby and Sapphire^[6]. Daewon C.I.'s release was followed by the January 2007 release of theNintendo DS Lite, which was the first Korean-language console officially released by the new Nintendo of Korea. In February 2008,Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (포켓몬스터 DP 디아루가·펄기아Pocket Monsters DP Dialga·Palkia) was released, being the first first-party Korean-language game released. However, it would not be until the release ofPokémon Black and White (포켓몬스터 블랙·화이트Pocket Monsters Black·White) in 2010 that Korean games would be completely compatible with games from other regions (asGeneration IV cartridges from other regions lack Korean characters).

Since its official release, Pokémon has enjoyed considerable success in South Korea. Releases in Korea have been able to keep pace with Japan and the rest of the world; Korean-language editions ofPokémon Adventures volumes are generally released in Korea before English editions in North America, new TCG sets are released on par with international releases, and starting withPokémon X and Y (포켓몬스터 X・YPocket Monsters X·Y), core series games have been released in South Korea at the same time as the rest of the world, with Korean as a language option in all regions. Furthermore, 이현정Lee Hyun-jung is a Korean employee ofGame Freak who designedTepig,Pignite, andEmboar, as well as illustrating a number of cards for the Pokémon TCG. In 2014, theVideo Game Championship, Masters Division winner was박세준Park Se-jun, the first Korean winner of a Pokémon Worlds event.

Similarities to foreign versions

The Pokémon franchise in South Korea is a mix of those released in Japan and North America, and is also uniquely Korean.

Currently, the Korean franchise tends to mirror that of Japan, in the same way the European franchise mirrors that of North America. Some Korean Pokémon names and NPCs are translations or transliterations of their Japanese names;Sylveon's Korean name 님피아Nimpia is based on the Japanese ニンフィアNymphia rather than its Western name. Furthermore, event Pokémon distributions in Korea tend to follow similar events in Japan rather than those in Europe and the States; the JapaneseYear of the Dragon event was alsoavailable in Korea, but was never released in the West. Finally, like the Japanese versions, the "포켓몬스터" logo used on every game changes with each generation, instead of using the same "International Pokémon" logo used in the West.

Other times, it mirrors North America; for example, both the front and back card design for the Pokémon TCG in Korea is based on the North American version of the game. Also, when Ruby & Sapphire was released, the Korean version (as depicted inPokémon Adventures) tended to use English names for Pokémon. For example,Taillow andSwellow's Korean names are transliterated from English (테일로Teillo and 스왈로Seuwallo, respectively), as wasDelcatty (델케티Delketi).

Most of the time, however, Pokémon in South Korea has a unique Korean look and feel. Many Pokémon have names unique to Korea, likeKecleon (켈리몬Kellimon),Leavanny (모아머Moameo), andHelioptile (목도리키텔Mokdorikitel), while many of the main characters in the Pokémon franchise are given specifically Korean names:Ash Ketchum is 한지우Han Ji-woo,Jessie andJames are 로사Rosa and 로이Roy, respectively, andLance is 목호Mokho.

For more information on these translated names, seelist of Korean Pokémon names.

• 
  Korean logo for Pokémon HeartGold
• 
  Korean logo for Pokémon White
• 
  Korean logo for Pokémon Sun
• 
  Korean logo for the Pokémon TCG; it is similar to the North American logo

Pokémon video games

Due to the South Korean government's ban on Japanese cultural items, none of thefirst generation games saw an official release in Korea. Once the ban was slightly lifted in 1998, a Korean-language version ofPokémon Gold and Silver (포켓몬스터 금·은Pocket Monsters Geum·Eun) would be released in 2002. Unlike previous localizations of Pokémon Gold and Silver, these versions are not playable on the originalGame Boy at all, and display an incompatibility message if inserted into an original Game Boy, likePokémon Crystal^[7]. For unknown reasons, Pokémon Crystal was never released in the Korean language, although it may be of note that the Game Boy Color's lifespan overseas was almost finished. Likewise, none of thethird generation would see a South Korean release either. It wouldn't be until the 2018 release ofPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! that Koreans would be able to play an official Korean-language version of the original story that appeared inPokémon Red and Green, albeit as a remake.

Since February 2008, all of thefourth generation main series games have been released in South Korea. Several of thespin-off Pokémon games have been released in South Korea as well. Thefifth generation games would see a release in 2011, andPokémon X and Y were released in Korea at the same time as the rest of the world, which has continued with all core series games since.

The Korean version ofSuper Smash Bros. Brawl contains unique voices for most of the Pokémon characters, likePokémon Trainer andLucario. Pokémon without unique cries retain their cries from the game's Japanese version.

Events

Local events have been occurring often in South Korea since the release ofPokémon Diamond and Pearl. The events are usually announced on the Korean Pokémon website. With the release ofPokémon Black and White, there has been both an official Korean version of thePokémon Global Link as well as various Wi-Fi competitions, both International and Local (Korean).

Pokémon animation

The Korean dub of thePokémon animated series was first aired on July 14, 1999. It is mainly based on the original Japanese version and has continued to do so, independent from the international versions managed byThe Pokémon Company International. Most characters are renamed in the dub; for example,Ash Ketchum is 한지우Han Ji-woo,Misty is 최이슬Choi I-seul, andBrock is 웅Ung.

In South Korea, the Pokémon animated series debuted onSBS. Since then, episodes have aired on Tooniverse, CHAMP TV, Animax, Cartoon Network, ANIONE, and Jei TV.

Special episodes, such asPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate! andPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness, have been dubbed as well.

Unlike the other dubs, the Korean dub has banned 20 episodes so far, including the ones banned in Japan. These banned episodes usually included overt references to Japan and Japanese culture, such asChallenge of the Samurai andThe Ninja Poké-Showdown. However, most of these episodes were from theoriginal series, with the last unaired episodes (not counting clip shows likeAG120 andDP120 or episodes banned in Japan) being fromPokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire:AG055 andAG056. However, that may have been an oversight, as many of the unaired episodes were released on DVD. EpisodesEP260 toEP274 were not aired during the broadcast of theoriginal series. No official explanation was given for it; the series went off-air afterEP259 on November 27, 2002 and resumed withAG001 on July 21, 2003.

The first twoPokémon movies were released in theaters on December 23, 2000 and August 11, 2001, respectively. All of the movies from thethird through theeleventh premiered on television, except forPokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, which premiered in theaters on July 20, 2006. Following the release ofArceus and the Jewel of Life in theaters in 2009, a movie has received a theatrical release every year since.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Korean dub's debut in 2024, several special projects were announced:

1. The first project,Pokémon: Stories from the Johto Region - The Final Chapter (Korean:포켓몬스터: 성도지방 이야기, 최종장), is a movie consisting of remastered versions of the previously undubbedSilver Conference episodes. It was screened in theaters beginning May 1, 2024.^[8] Despite not having been released in Japan, the movie was given a Japanese name (Japanese:ポケットモンスター: ジョウト地方の物語、最終章) in the original name field of theKorea Media Rating Board rating.^[9]
2. The second project,Pokémon Animation Concert (Korean:포켓몬 애니메이션 콘서트), is a concert scheduled to be held at the Lotte Concert Hall on May 10, 2024 at 7:30 PM and on May 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. It will feature performances of both some of the Korean opening and ending themes, as well as several pieces from the show's score.^[10]
3. Two projects were announced as the third project:
   • Pocket Monsters: Journey for Dreams (Korean:포켓몬스터: 꿈을 위한 여행) is a special exhibition and anime store that was held atLotte Cinema World Tower 7F Cine Park from April 26 to May 19, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM.^[11]
   • Pocket Monsters Episode: Gold & Silver: Stories from Mt. Silver (Korean:포켓몬스터 금은편: 은빛산 이야기) is a series consisting of the previously undubbed last 15 episodes of theoriginal series. It was broadcast on JEI TV from August 10 to September 7, 2024, and released on SKbtv VOD beginning August 12, 2024.^[12]

• 
  Pokémon 25th Anniversary logo
• 
  Pokémon: Stories from the Johto Region - The Final Chapter teaser poster
• 
  Pokémon: Stories from the Johto Region - The Final Chapter poster
• 
  Pokémon Animation Concert poster
• 
  Pocket Monsters: Journey for Dreams poster
• 
  Pocket Monsters: Episode: Gold & Silver: Stories from Mt. Silver poster

Music

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Lacking more information in reference to the music

Main article:List of Korean opening themes

Main article:List of Korean ending themes

Much like the English dub, the Korean dub of the animated series features different openings and endings from that in Japanese. However, many of the songs are directly based on their respective Japanese counterparts, using similar lyrics, style and beat along with sharing the same running time (1 minute and 30 seconds) and debuting episodes.

Several music CDs have been released in South Korea includingPocket Monsters OST (Vol. 1) in May 2000,Pocket Monsters OST (Vol. 2) in December 2000, andPocket Monsters AG (New & Best) in December 2003.

Cast and crew

Many voice actors and actresses have contributed to the production of the Korean dub of the Pokémon animated series.

Pokémon the Series

지우Ji-woo (Ash Ketchum) has been voiced by:

• 최덕희Choi Deok-hyi for theoriginal series,M01, andM02,
• 안현서An Hyeon-seo forM03-M05,
• 이선호Lee Seon-ho forPokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire onwards, as well as the movies in the respective series.

이슬I-seul (Misty) was voiced by지미애Ji Mi-ae.

웅Ung (Brock) was voiced by:

• 구자형Koo Ja-hyung for theoriginal series and all of the movies untilM09,
• 변영희Byeon Young-hui forPokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire andPokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl.
• 김영선Kim Young-seon forPokémon the Series: Black & White andPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon.
• 황창영Hwang Chang-young forPokémon: The Arceus Chronicles andPokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master.

로사Rosa (Jessie) was voiced by:

• 이선Lee Seon for theoriginal series and all of the movies untilM09,
• 우정신Woo Jeong-sin forPokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire onwards, as well as the movies in the respective series.

로이Roy (James) was voiced by:

• 김일Kim Il for theoriginal series and all of the movies untilM09,
• 김영선Kim Yeong-seon forPokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire onwards, as well as the movies in the respective series.

나옹Na-ong (Meowth) was voiced by:

• 최원형Choi Won-hyeong for theoriginal series and all of the movies untilM09,
• 박조호Park Joho forAG001-AG078
• 오인성Oh In-seong forAG079 onwards, as well as the movies in the respective series.

관철Gwan-cheol (Tracey Sketchit) was voiced by이영주Lee Youngjoo.

봄이Bom-i (May) was voiced by:

• 서혜정Seo Hye-jeong forPokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire,
• 지미애Ji Mi-ae for the original moviesM06-M09,
• 김현지Kim Hyeon-ji for the redubbed moviesM06-M09.

정인Jeong-in (Max) was voiced by:

• 김서영Kim Seo-young forAG001-AG078 and the original moviesM06-M09,
• 문남숙Moon Nam-suk forAG079 onwards,
• 안영미An Young-mi for the redubbed moviesM06-M09.

빛나Bitna (Dawn) was voiced by:

• 정미숙Jeong Mi-suk forPokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl andPokémon Journeys: The Series.
• 김현지Kim Hyun-ji forPokémon the Series: Black & White.

아이리스Iris (Iris) was voiced by장경희Jang Kyung-hui.

덴트Dent (Cilan) was voiced by남도형Nam Do-hyung.

세레나Serena (Serena) is voiced by김현지Kim Hyun-ji

시트론Citron (Clemont) is voiced by심규혁Sim Gyu-hyeok

유리카Yurika (Bonnie) is voiced by조경이Jo Gyung-i

릴리에Lillie (Lillie) is voiced by윤아영Yoon Ah-yeong

키아웨Kiawe (Kiawe) is voiced by정주원Jeong Joo-won

마오Mao (Mallow) is voiced by김율Kim Yool

수련Soo-ryeon (Lana) is voiced by:

• 김하영Kim Ha-yeong forSM001-SM092
• 강은애Kang Eun-ae forSM093 onwards andPokémon Journeys: The Series.

마마네Mama-ne (Sophocles) is voiced by송하림Song Ha-rim

고우Goh (Goh) is voiced by송하림Song Ha-rim

하루Haru (Chloe) is voiced by윤은서Yoon Eun-seo

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

리코Liko (Liko) is voiced by이지현Lee Ji-hyeon

로드Rod (Roy) is voiced by이새벽Lee Sae-byeok

도트Dot (Dot) is voiced by조현정Jo Hyeon-jeong

프리드Friede (Friede) is voiced by윤용식Yoon Yong-sik

올라Orla (Orla) is voiced by정유정Jeong Yoo-jeong

머독Murdock (Murdock) is voiced by서반석Seo Ban-seok

몰리Mollie (Mollie) is voiced by오로아Oh Ro-ah

러들로Ludlow (Ludlow) is voiced by민승우Min Seung-woo

아메시오Amethio (Amethio) is voiced by심규혁Sim Gyu-hyeok

스피넬Spinel (Spinel) is voiced by김신우Kim Sin-woo

산호Sanho (Coral) is voiced by장미Jang Mi

오닉스Onyx (Sidian) is voiced by한복현Han Bok-hyeon

어게이트Agate (Chalce) is voiced by김성연Kim Seong-yeon

Pokémon Trading Card Game

Prior to the DP Era, only two sets of the Trading Card Game were officially printed in Korean.Wizards of the Coast releasedBase Set in 2000 under the title 포켓몬 트레이딩 카드 게임Pokémon Trading Card Game. A Korean Pikachu was included in two separatePikachu World Collection promo sets. After Nintendo took over the game in 2003, 대원C&A홀딩스Daiwon C&A Holdings releasedADV Expansion Pack in February 2004 and theTreecko,Torchic, andMudkip Constructed Starter Decks in July 2004 under the title 포켓몬 카드게임Pokémon Card Game^[13][14].

With the release of theDiamond and Pearl sets, the Korean-language cards were released again under the current title 포켓몬 카드 게임Pokémon Card Game, starting with 모험의 시작Start of an Adventure; however Korean sets at this time were a unique combination of existing cards, with none of the sets themselves corresponding to existing sets. It wouldn't be until the release of theBlack and White sets in Japan that Korean sets would follow a format that is on par with Japan and North American releases.

Currently, the distributor is Pokémon Korea, Inc. Unlike the North American sets, thebooster packs are called Extension Packs, theTheme Decks are called Random Decks, and the promotional pack is called a Special Set.

Up to theSword & Shield (TCG) series, the Korean version of the Pokémon TCG is a mix between the English card design and the Japanese set format. In particular, the front and back of the card is exactly the same as the English version, albeit in Korean; this includes the flat yellow borders, copyright info in the lower-lefthand corner of the card (which is instead the location of the "1st Edition" symbol on Japanese cards), and the card backs used on English cards since the original Base Set release. However, the set logo, set names, and rarity icons for Korean cards are the same as the Japanese version: for example, Korean cards use the same purple "XY7" symbol and name "Bandit Ring" as the Japanese cards, instead of that used for the English release ofAncient Origins. The order of Pokémon is the same as in Japanese, butTrainer cards andSpecial Energy cards are ordered according to their Korean name, whereas all sets in other Asian languages order the cards according to their Japanese name. KoreanMega Evolution Pokémon cards also depict the English names of their attack instead of the Japanese names seen on English cards.

As of theScarlet & Violet (TCG) series, the Japanese silver borders are now present on Korean cards.

This combination of English and Japanese formats might be due to both a desire to retain continuity with the original Wizards of the Coast cards released in Korean (as seen on the Korean Pikachu card included in bothPikachu World Collection release), but also due to the closer influence of the mainThe Pokémon Company in Japan onPokémon Korea, Inc., as opposed toThe Pokémon Company International, which runs the International releases of the TCG.

Events

South Korean players are a regular feature at international Pokémon events, including Worlds each year.Pokémon Korea, Inc. also run their own events, including the 포켓몬스터 코리안리그Pokémon Korea League^[15]. This is the primary way for Korean players to earn invitations to the official PokémonWorld Championships event.

On December 23, 2018, players from both South Korea and Japan staged the first Japanese-Korean Friendly tournament^[16][17] (Korean:포켓몬 카드 게임 한일교류전, Japanese:ポケモンカードゲーム 日韓交流戦) in Seoul, South Korea. The tournament had multiple events, and culminated with anexhibition match between박세준Park Se-jun, Worlds 2014 Masters division winner, and Ryota Otsubo, World 2017 Masters division winner.

• 
  Korean logo
• 
  Japanese logo
• 
  Playmat design for the event
• 
  Masters Ryota Otsubo & Park Se-jun pose with their signature Pokémon^[18]

Pokémon manga

Pokémon Adventures (포켓몬스터 스페셜Pocket Monsters Special) has been published in South Korea by 대원씨아이Daewon C.I. since August 1999. Since then, every volume that has been released in Japan has been released in Korean, the most recent beingVolume 51, which was released on August 25, 2015. No major changes have been made between the original Japanese story and the Korean version; however at least the first 21 volumes are still released in a flipped format (mirrored from the original Japanese for Korean audiences), but have since been released unflipped (like the original Japanese version) by Volume 30.

Magical Pokémon Journey has been translated into Korean as well.

External links

• Pokémon Korea (The official Korean Pokémon website — unique format)
• Pokémon TCG Korea (Korean language)
• Pokémon on CHAMP TV (Korean language)
• Pokémon on Tooniverse (Korean language)
• Pokémon on Animax (Korean language)
• Pokémon on Cartoon Network Korea (Korean language)

References

Related articles

• List of Korean Pokémon names
• List of Korean opening themes
• List of Korean ending themes

This article is part ofProject Globe, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon franchise around the world.

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• Articles needing more information