The name Korea derives from the name Goryeo (also spelled Koryŏ).

The name Goryeo itself
was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo (Koguryŏ) which was one of the great powers
in East Asia during its time,[23][24][25][26] ruling most of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, parts of
the Russian Far East[27] and parts of Inner Mongolia,[28] under Gwanggaeto the Great.[29] The 10th-
century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo,[30][31][32][33] and thus inherited its name, which was
pronounced by visiting Persian merchants as "Korea". [34] The modern spelling of Korea first
appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India
Company's Hendrick Hamel.[35]
After the division of the country into North and South Korea, the two sides used different terms to
refer to Korea: Chosun or Joseon (조선) in North Korea, and Hanguk (한국) in South Korea. In
1948, North Korea adopted Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean: 
조선민주주의인민공화국, Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk;  listen) as its new legal name.
In the wider world, because the government controls the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, it
is commonly called North Korea to distinguish it from South Korea, which is officially called
the Republic of Korea in English. Both governments consider themselves to be the legitimate
government of the whole of Korea.[36][37] For this reason, the people do not consider themselves as
'North Koreans' but as Koreans in the same divided country as their compatriots in the South and
foreign visitors are discouraged from using the former term