The government will change the English names of the Home Ministry and several other government offices to help foreigners easily understand the roles and functions of the organizations at a glance, the Home Ministry said Friday.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs announced that its new English name will be “Ministry of the Interior.”

Sixty foreign countries, including Germany and Finland, currently use the name for a government office overseeing home and general affairs and public safety, according to officials.

“We adopted an English name commonly used by foreign countries so foreigners can easily understand the identity and function of the ministry in charge of general and home affairs,” the ministry said in a release.

The government is also considering altering the English names of other Cabinet ministries, agencies and affiliate organizations, it said.

The Ministry of Strategy and Finance, however, will not change its name despite facing criticism that it is too difficult to understand and that it sounds awkward and authoritarian.

The plan for name alterations, if finalized through discussions with relevant offices, is expected to be up for approval in a Cabinet meeting by the end of this month. (Yonhap)