[KS] Re: romanization '99

[Robert J. Fouser]

Dear Friends,

I usually lurk, but I think that Prof. Lee Sang-0ak's recent message on
romanization of Korean deserves serious consideration.  Many members of this
list are no doubt tired of the topic, but it keeps propping up because the
current system and proposed remedies are all problematic.
Let me propose the following:

1. Keep the McCune-Reischauer (MR) system for proper nouns and other
general/popular uses, but adopt two of the modifications considered in a
symposium on romanization held at the University of Hawaii in 1980: changing
the breve over "O" and "U" to an additional letter ("e" or "w") or to a more
commonly used diacritic mark (I recommend the circumflex) and replacing the
apostrophe for aspirated consonants with an "h" (Austerlitz, Robert, et al.
(1980) "Report on Workshop Conference on Korean Romanization," Korean
Studies 4: 111-126).  These two changes will go along way to removing
complaints about MR being difficult to use on computers without compromising
the phonetic and aesthetic principles of the system that have made it
popular for 60 years.  Use of the circumflex in place of the breve is
already widespread as is use of "e" with "O" and "U."

2. Adopt a second system that, as Professor Lee mentioned, would follow a
one-to-one correspondence between a roman letter and a hangul letter.  This
system can be used as for natural language processing, other computer uses,
linguistic studies, and by those persons who wish to use it for their names.
No language policy should dictate the details of how people spell their
names, so those who wish to use a one-to-one correspondence for their names
should be free to do so.  A one-to-one correspondence would look awkward
because one letter would have to be used for the "iung," (I favor the "q"
because it looks somewhat similar to the IPA symbol for "ng") which would
look awkward, but it would satisfy those who want a strict one-to-one
correspondence.

3. To promote the two systems, the National Academy of the Korean Language
should publish a usage guide with clear examples in cooperation with a
foreign publisher or research institution.  It should also work with the
Ministry of Education to ensure that students of English are given an
introduction to MR in their English classes in school.  The one-to-one
correspondence system need not be taught in the schools because it is
intended for specialists.  Information about it should be readily available,
however.

Allowing two systems is the fairest way to end the "romanization pendulum"
that has caused so much frustration for so long.

With best wishes,

Robert Fouser




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