[KS] Romanization - Why Worry
John Duggan
duggan_john at hotmail.com
Thu Jul 6 09:30:44 EDT 2000
Regarding a new scheme for romanization, according to a recent Korea
Times article, "Shim Jae-kee, the director of NAKL, claimed the purpose of
the change is 'to present the true linguistic integrity and identity of the
Korean language to the world.'" Also in the Times, "Culture and Tourism
Minister Park Jie-won said that updating the current system was necessary to
correct the existing chaos..."
Am I wrong in assuming that the rendering of the names of these two
learned scholars `in the Korea Times is their preferred spelling? If it is
their preferred spelling, then neither of them is using the new system or
any other identifiable system, I think. This makes me hopeful that neither
of them really believe in the new system they would like to impose on
us...or full of wonder at the revelation of new names in Korean that I had
never imagined.
If instead the Korea Times is just rendering their names any way they
please, then I'm sure we can count on them to render the same service in the
future.
Joking aside, I do have a few questions, though. Has anyone ever
described the country where I am now living as Gorea? And how can I explain
to the uninitiated that Korea draws its name from Goryeo (or is that
Golyeo)?
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