<p>&quot;<a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%98%B2%E7%9C%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">国防省</a>&quot; and &quot;<a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hans/%E5%9B%BD%E5%AE%B6%E4%BF%9D%E5%8D%AB%E7%9C%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">国家保卫省</a>&quot; are two North Korean government departments.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>国防</strong>省: 2020年11月前称人民武力省，為朝鮮的最高軍事行政部門 - Ministry of <strong>National Defense</strong>: formerly known as the Ministry of People's Armed Forces until November 2020, is the highest military administrative department of North Korea.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>国家<strong>保卫</strong>省: 是朝鲜民主主义人民共和国的秘密警察和情报机构部门。 - The Ministry of National <strong>Security</strong>  is the secret police and intelligence agency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>国<strong>防</strong> = National <strong>Defense</strong> (the nation's armed force)</p>
</li>
<li><p>國家<strong>保衛</strong> = National <strong>Security</strong> (the government's secret police and intelligence agency)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>美國也有<strong>國防部</strong>和<strong>國土安全部</strong> The United States also has the <strong>Department of Defense</strong> and the <strong>Department of Homeland Security</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-31T12:10:48.820Z
But why does Chinese side name North Korea's Ministry of National Defense国防省 but not 国防部, because as far as I know, the Korean language doesn't use the Chinese characters as  in the Japanese language, and 省 can only be understood as a local authority, like 广东省, 浙江省 in modern China's society?
NanningYouth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-01T23:27:04.307Z
@NanningYouth  From `Hancha: 國防省` in [wiki](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defence_(North_Korea)), it seems that North Korea chooses to use 省 and China simply follows their choice.
kyc
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-02T10:04:25.607Z
@kyc Is it a case of double standard? Kamala Harris calls herself 贺锦丽, but China does not follow her, calling her 哈里斯,which sounds like a male.
NanningYouth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-02T15:53:44.023Z
@NanningYouth Probably because 贺锦丽 isn’t close to her legal name, while Korean (and also Japanese) names often has their own version of Chinese characters. If one day Chinese-speaking voters matter more, and she uses her Chinese name more frequently, I think 贺锦丽 will be more widely adopted. For sounding like a male, yes, there’s no typical female-ish character in 哈里斯, but it’s her last name and even for the first name it’s ok to sound neutral in gender IMO. Just like Taylor Swift’s 斯威夫特 (and 泰勒).
kyc
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-04T03:16:09.480Z
@kyc What about the cases of 夏侯雅伯（former NATO secretary, an enemy or at least not a true friend of China), 谭德塞 （WHO Secretary, an African man without any relation with China before COVID-19) and 苏杰生 (Indian foreign minister)？
NanningYouth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-04T03:21:22.873Z
@kyc About that male or female name, Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood film star is 玛丽莲 梦露,  James Monroe, former American President is 詹姆士 门罗, what is the standard?
NanningYouth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-04T07:04:09.080Z
@NanningYouth I don’t think there is a standard, or it’s easy to set up and enforce a standard. You can also see [my answer](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/58029/31513) to your question about some considerations in translating foreign names. Due to the complexity, I think in general it’s fair to call the naming double standard or even twenty standard if you prefer. (1/2)
kyc
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-04T07:05:31.060Z
@NanningYouth My earlier comment, however, is saying that Korean/Japanese names often already have the Chinese version using hanja/kanji. This close relationship between Korean/Japanese and Chinese provides a straightforward default “translation” (even if wasei kanjis are used) that is not really comparable to 贺锦丽. (2/2)
kyc
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-29T14:49:01.003Z
2024-10-29T14:58:22.060Z
2024-10-29T14:58:22.060Z
Tang Ho
<p>Source: 据新华社首尔10月28日电 据朝中社28日报道，朝鲜国防省发言人27日发布最终调查结果，认定韩国军方是无人机渗透至平壤事件的“主体、肇事者”，其目的是空投反朝政治传单。
据报道，发言人说，由<strong>国防省</strong>和<strong>国家保卫省</strong>等相关专业机构组成的联合调查组在坠落无人机残骸中拆卸了飞行控制模块，并对无人机飞行计划及飞行历史记录进行了全面分析。</p>
<p>国防 means national defense and so does 国家保卫. Are they not redundant?</p>
<p>Why is it not 国防部？</p>

<translation><word-choice>
Are the two phrases in the news redundant?
# Are the two phrases in the news redundant?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-10-29)

Source: 据新华社首尔10月28日电 据朝中社28日报道，朝鲜国防省发言人27日发布最终调查结果，认定韩国军方是无人机渗透至平壤事件的“主体、肇事者”，其目的是空投反朝政治传单。
据报道，发言人说，由**国防省**和**国家保卫省**等相关专业机构组成的联合调查组在坠落无人机残骸中拆卸了飞行控制模块，并对无人机飞行计划及飞行历史记录进行了全面分析。

国防 means national defense and so does 国家保卫. Are they not redundant?

Why is it not 国防部？

**Tags:** translation, word-choice

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-10-29. Score: 3

"[国防省](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%98%B2%E7%9C%81)" and "[国家保卫省](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hans/%E5%9B%BD%E5%AE%B6%E4%BF%9D%E5%8D%AB%E7%9C%81)" are two North Korean government departments.

> **国防**省: 2020年11月前称人民武力省，為朝鮮的最高軍事行政部門 - Ministry of **National Defense**: formerly known as the Ministry of People's Armed Forces until November 2020, is the highest military administrative department of North Korea.

> 国家**保卫**省: 是朝鲜民主主义人民共和国的秘密警察和情报机构部门。 - The Ministry of National **Security** is the secret police and intelligence agency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

* 国**防** = National **Defense** (the nation's armed force)
* 國家**保衛** = National **Security** (the government's secret police and intelligence agency)

美國也有**國防部**和**國土安全部** The United States also has the **Department of Defense** and the **Department of Homeland Security**

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But why does Chinese side name North Korea's Ministry of National Defense国防省 but not 国防部, because as far as I know, the Korean language doesn't use the Chinese characters as  in the Japanese language, and 省 can only be understood as a local authority, like 广东省, 浙江省 in modern China's society?  
> **username_2**: @NanningYouth  From `Hancha: 國防省` in [wiki](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defence_(North_Korea)), it seems that North Korea chooses to use 省 and China simply follows their choice.  
> **username_0**: @kyc Is it a case of double standard? Kamala Harris calls herself 贺锦丽, but China does not follow her, calling her 哈里斯,which sounds like a male.  
> **username_2**: @NanningYouth Probably because 贺锦丽 isn’t close to her legal name, while Korean (and also Japanese) names often has their own version of Chinese characters. If one day Chinese-speaking voters matter more, and she uses her Chinese name more frequently, I think 贺锦丽 will be more widely adopted. For sounding like a male, yes, there’s no typical female-ish character in 哈里斯, but it’s her last name and even for the first name it’s ok to sound neutral in gender IMO. Just like Taylor Swift’s 斯威夫特 (and 泰勒).  
> **username_0**: @kyc What about the cases of 夏侯雅伯（former NATO secretary, an enemy or at least not a true friend of China), 谭德塞 （WHO Secretary, an African man without any relation with China before COVID-19) and 苏杰生 (Indian foreign minister)？  
> **username_0**: @kyc About that male or female name, Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood film star is 玛丽莲 梦露,  James Monroe, former American President is 詹姆士 门罗, what is the standard?  
> **username_2**: @NanningYouth I don’t think there is a standard, or it’s easy to set up and enforce a standard. You can also see [my answer](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/58029/31513) to your question about some considerations in translating foreign names. Due to the complexity, I think in general it’s fair to call the naming double standard or even twenty standard if you prefer. (1/2)  
> **username_2**: @NanningYouth My earlier comment, however, is saying that Korean/Japanese names often already have the Chinese version using hanja/kanji. This close relationship between Korean/Japanese and Chinese provides a straightforward default “translation” (even if wasei kanjis are used) that is not really comparable to 贺锦丽. (2/2)  

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