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<P>While I'm more a voyeur of this site, not being formally / academically trained or otherwise affiliated, nonetheless I would like to propose some thoughts on this important topic. </P>
<P>It becomes more and more apparent to me that "indigenous Korean" is a very useful and perhaps respectful word to apply to the "min" in question when it applies to Korean people / culture. We know that translations are slippery slope, especially in the creation of a title.</P>
<P>As proposed the question implies, the translated values of "min" have been been succeptible to politicization, and have been both embraced and marginalized for the same reasons. Through time and impacted by external influences, the word has been employed to include and exclude what is perceived as being of value or too challenging to a set notion of what has transpired or is generic to Korean culture.</P>
<P>I'm more than willing to be enlightened otherwise.</P>
<P>Thanks.<BR><BR></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: DEBERNIERE JANET TORREY <DJT188@PSU.EDU><BR>Sent: Jul 27, 2007 11:34 AM <BR>To: koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws <BR>Subject: [KS] minjok, minjung, and a miscellaneous item <BR><BR>Dear List Members,<BR><BR>I'm trying to find a good translation of the word "minjok," and wonder what's already out there that conveys the meaning adequately? I believe "minjok euisik" is sometimes translated "national consciousness," which feels pretty close to the Korean term in most of the contexts it's used, but somehow the parallel "national history" for "minjoksa" seems to weaken the connotation of "minjok" (which might also be translated "race" or "ethnic group"). Any ideas? Specifically, I'm trying to give an English approximation for a book titled, <EM>Minjoksawa Cheonjugyohoe (Minjok History and the Catholic Church)</EM> that examines the role of the Catholic Church in the development of the modern Korean nation beginning in the 19th c., but including Catholic involvement in social justice issues during the later 20th century.<BR><BR>On a related note, are there any agreed-upon translations of "minjung" in Korean Studies circles? For instance, is there a way to convey "minjung-eui dongyo" without resorting to something reductionist or Marxist when the phrase refers to indigenous movements and uprisings of the common populace as early as the mid 19th c.? Also, out of curiosity, what are some preferred translations of the term "minjung gayo" that refers to the genre of music popular with the student demonstrators of the 80s? I've heard "people's songs" or "songs of the masses," and I often explain it to non-Koreans as being similar to American folk-rock. Some representative singers from back then: Jeong Taechun & Bak Eunok, An Chihwan (although his more recent music might not quite fit), Kim Min'gi... As a former student-activist friend of mine once commented, you can almost smell the makgeolli when you listen to Jeong Taechun...<BR><BR>Finally (nostalgia aside) I'm trying to locate a journal called "The Journal of International Comparative Korean Studies" OR "The Journal of Comparative Korean Studies." Two different bibliographic references of the same article gave these two slightly different journal titles, but searches (including on major periodical list databases in my univ. library) have unearthed no such journal so far. Any leads?<BR><BR>Thanks very much for your time and attention,<BR><BR>Deberniere T.</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY><PRE>
Lauren W. Deutsch
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