생이별

Korean

Sino-Korean word from 生 (“life, lifetime”) + 離別 (“separation, departure, bidding farewell”).

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰɛŋibjʌ̹ɭ] ~ [sʰe̞ŋibjʌ̹ɭ] ~ [sʰɛŋnibjʌ̹ɭ] ~ [sʰe̞ŋnibjʌ̹ɭ]
Phonetic hangul: [생이별/셍이별/생니별/셍니별]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	saeng'ibyeol/saengnibyeol
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	saeng'ibyeol/saengnibyeol
McCune–Reischauer^?	saengibyŏl/saengnibyŏl
Yale Romanization^?	sayngipyel/sayngnipyel

South Korean Standard Language	생이별(生離別) (saeng'ibyeol)
North Korean Standard Language	생리별(生離別) (saengnibyeol)

생이별 • (saeng'ibyeol) (hanja 生離別)

final/permanent parting or departure between loved ones (e.g. family members or lovers)
6.25 로 남편 과 생이별을 하 게 되었다.
Yugio-ro nampyeon-gwa saengnibyeor-eul hage doeeotda.
She was separated permanently from her husband due to the Korean War.

In the standard language, and hence in news broadcasts, official proclamations, etc., the word is pronounced as 생니별 (saengnibyeol). This is presumably also the only accepted pronunciation in North Korea.
The pronunciation 생이별 (saeng'ibyeol) with no /n/, although technically nonstandard, is overwhelmingly common in South Korea with 89.4% of surveyed speakers preferring it.^[1]

^ 한국어의 발음 현황 조사 요약 보고서 [han'gugeoui bareum hyeonhwang josa yoyak bogoseo, The current circumstances of Korean phonology: A summarized report], National Institute of the Korean Language, 2016