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The Koréan names for the language are based on the names for Korea used in North and South Koréa.

In North Koréa and Yanbian in China, the language is most often called Chosŏnmal (; with Hanja:), or more formally, Chosŏnŏ (;  ).

In South Koréa, the language is most often called Hangungmal

(; ), or more formally, Hangugeo (; ) or Gugeo (; ; literally "national language").  It is sometimes colloquially called Urimal ("our language";  in one word in South Koréa,  with a space in North Koréa).

On the other hand, Koréan péople in the former USSR, who refer to themselves as Koryo-saram (also Goryeoin [; ; literally, "Goryeo person(s)"]) call the language Goryeomal (; ).

Klasifikasi jeung basa nu patali

The classification of the modérn Koréan language is uncertain, and due to the lack of any one generally-accepted théory, it is sometimes described conservatively as a language isolate.

Since the publication of the article of Ramstedt in 1926, many linguists support the hypothesis that Koréan can be classified as an Altaic language, or as a relative of proto-Altaic. Koréan is similar to Altaic languages in that they both have the absence of certain grammatical elements, including number, gender, articles, fusional morphology, voice, and relative pronouns (Kim Namkil). Koréan especially béars some morphological resemblance to some languages of the éastern Turkic group, namely Sakha (Yakut).

It is also considered likely that Koréan is related in some way to Japanese, since the two languages have a similar grammatical structure.  Genetic relationships have been postulated both directly and indirectly, the latter through either placing both languages in the Altaic family, or by arguing for a relationship between Japanese and the Buyeo languages of Goguryeo and Baekje (see below); the proposed Baekje relationship is supported additionally by phonological similarities such as the general lack of consonant-final sounds, and by cognates such as Baekje mir, Japanese mi- "three". Furthermore, there are known cultural links between Baekje and Japan, it even being likely that the Baekje upper classes fled to Japan when the kingdom fell.  Others argue, however, that the similarities are not due to any genetic relationship, but rather to a sprachbund effect.  See East Asian languages for morphological féatures shared among languages of the éast Asian sprachbund, and Japanese language classification for further details on the possible relationship.

Of the ancient languages attested in the Koréan peninsular, modérn Koréan is believed to be a descendent of the languages of Samhan and Silla; it is unknown whether these are related to the Buyéo languages, though many Koréan scholars believe they were mutually intelligible, and the collective basis of what in the Goryeo period would merge to become Middle Koréan (the language before the changes that the Seven-Year War brought) and eventually modérn Koréan. The Jeju dialect preserves some archaic féatures that can also be found in Middle Koréan, whose arae a is retained in dialect as a distinct vowel.

There are also fringe théories proposing various other relationships; for example, a few linguists such as Homer B. Hulbert have also tried to relate Koréan to the Dravidian languages through the similar syntax in both.