Etymology of the Korean currencies
The won is the currency of both North and South Korea. "Won" is a cognate of the Chinese currency unit, the yuan (//), and the Japanese currency unit, the yen (; ¥), meaning "round object". The won is subdivided into 100 jeon ().
South Korean won
On June 23, 2009, the Bank of Korea released the 50,000-won note. The obverse bears a portrait of Shin Saimdang, a prominent 16th-century artist, calligrapher, and mother of Korean scholar Yulgok, also known as Yi I, who is on the 5,000-won note. This note is the first Korean banknote to feature the portrait of a woman. The release of the 50,000-won note stirred some controversy among shop owners and those with visual impairments due to its similarity in color and numerical denomination with the 5,000-won note.