Thanks to @10_Magazine @holterbarbour @a_ahmad and @hanbae for this resource and their discussion of it on Twitter.

I’ve heard about this problem for a long time and it’s good to have some examples of the differences.

It’s common to hear Seoulites talk/complain about dialect distinctions that, not just with North Koreans but in those from other Provences as well. I’ve long held that Koreans in general, but Seoulites in particular, have very difficult time with language variance.

There are many reasons why this might exist, if it does. One of my theories is that Koreans have not had to deal with foreigners learning and using their language in the same way that Americans, for example, have. This may be true for Americans in more isolated areas, but in large urban areas you are likely to hear/interact with non-native English speakers every day. This has resulted in better coping mechanisms for language variation.

This is purely anecdotal, but a good deal of experience in both places leads me to believe this might be true. This is not to say that all Americans are better with language variation than Koreans, but I do suggest that this is likely a cognitive skill that is developed more in areas that see more variation.