[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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