Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Which do you prefer?

Corea or Korea?

And, why?

[kimcheeking]

Korea because it is English. Corea, I believe, is French.

[denz]

Ostralia.

benz

[eamo]

Oirland

[gajackson1]

Turtle Island (in translation)

But, if you insist on English, then I say Columbia! MML!

G.

[denz]

[Homer]

It was Corea before japanese occupation.
It became Korea during japanese rule....

In french its not Korea or Corea its Cor�e.

I think koreans should choose whatever way they prefer...

[posco's trumpet]

[Gord]

[Korea Newfie]

[mole]

Corea
er.. just because it looked exotic and new and cool during World Cup.
am I shallow?

Agreed. Koreans should choose the spelling they prefer. Most of my students prefer Korea.

[Korea Newfie]

[Homer]

Gord...

1) Ahhh..yes...
Japan changed many things during the colonization period and the spelling of Korea seems to have been one of them. It was a singular policy but it seems it was applied none the less.

Perhaps you need a source Gordie?
well here it is pal:

…honor the more natural rendering commonly used in the English-speaking world prior to the Japanese annexation and colonialization of Corea beginning in 1905.
American and English books published during the latter half of the 19th century generally referred to the nation as "Corea" as recently as the years immediately preceding Japan's formal annexation of Corea in 1910. An 1851 map of East Asia by Englishman John Tallis labels the nation Corea. The same spelling is used in The Mongols, a 1908 history of the Mongol race by Jeremiah Curtin, the world's foremost Asia scholar of the day, as well as in several books by American missionaries published between 1887 and 1905.
Japan's annexation of Corea didn't become formal until 1910, but for all practical purposes Japan had become the power that regulated Corea's relations with the outside world in 1897 when it defeated China in a war over Japan's ambition to exercise control over Corea. The only other power willing to contest Japan's supremacy in the Corean peninsula was Russia. When it was easily defeated by Japan at Port Arthur in 1905, the annexation of Corea became a fait accompli. Anxious to avoid a costly Pacific conflict, President Wilson ignored the pleas of a delegation of Corean patriots and their American missionary supporters and turned a blind eye to Japan's acts of formal annexation and colonization of Corea. During that period Japan mounted a campaign to push for the "Korea" useage by the American press. Why? For one of Japan's prospective colonies to precede its master in the alphabetical lineup of nations would be unseemly, Japanese imperialists decided.

S:http://goldsea.com/Air/Issues/Corea/corea.html

More Gordie? Allrightie then buddy..

"Since Korea was known as Corea or Coree for many hundreds of years before being introduced to English speaking world,it seems curious why the spelling had changed into K. "

S: http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~soon/essays/corea.html

Of course Gordie, Korean's feelings towards Japan are tainted and very biased. Even if it is just nationalistic pridethe base of the argument is explained cleary here:

"Well then, I think that if they really want to change Korea to Corea, they should do so without cooking up a story. It is not so rare a practice to change country names. For example, Zaire was renamed to Congo, and Bilma to Myanmer. "

S:http://www.geocities.com/neue_strassenbahn/corea.html



They do call it Hanguk in hangul. They have the right to decide how to spell their nation's name in English. If other countries decide they don't like it then thats a different story. It would not be that big of a deal to change the name.
Look at the case of Pusan which is spelt With a "P" or with a "B" as in Busan. If they want to call it Corea for national and historical reasons its their right after all they are korean..err..I mean corean...or perhaps cor�en...
They don't spell it Kanada in english either thats just the phonetic translation with hangul.

[seoulman]

I also don't agree that Korea (with a "k") should have any say on how the name of their country is spelled or pronounced in English or any other language. Many languages call it something that looks or sounds nothing like Korea. That is their prerogative.

[The King of Kwangju]