Korean Job Discussion Forums

AbbeFaria · Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: Gangnam

Okay, is there a reason why every map I look at of S. Korea has a different spelling for the same thing? It's incredibly confusing. I read that they're updating their alphabet to a more western style, but is this not a standard system? Is spelling in the eye of the beholder? My recruiters send me schools and cities and depending on which map I look at, it could be one or the other. A city on the west coast, or the east coast, depending on how it could be spelled or misspelled or spelled right but in the old or new system, so it doesn't apply to whatever I might be looking at Shocked

. Is there a method to this madness? Can anyone point me to a map of Korea that has the correct spelling, or the spelling that my recruiters are using?

Stephen

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

They've switched to a different romanization system the last few years. And supposedly they're planning to switch to even a newer one in a few more years. Madness indeed.

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Yep.... and both ways really suck. The new is better then the old, but still.....

YoungLi · Joined: 06 Sep 2005

AbbeFaria, Sounds like you really need to get yourself a copy of the book, Culture Shock Korea and look on page 15. There IS most definately a method to the "madness."

manlyboy · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:31 pm Post subject:

Just learn to read Hangeul. It's very easy. You can do it in a day. Then you won't have to worry about romanization anymore.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

There are three Romanization systems, NONE of which is taught to Koreans (why should they be?) So it's pretty much hit or miss when someone comes to spell Korean words/names in English. Many of the road signs have been up-dated, but many have not. So you need to know the two most recent systems if you want to avoid too much confusion, or you could just skip the romanizations and read Korean directly.

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Abbe, just bear this in mind- whether it's called Puch'on, Puchon, or Bucheon, you don't want to work there.
Laughing

ChimpumCallao · Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: your mom

what still gets me is that the world maps in South Korea just call both North and South just "Korea" while some even fail to draw the border.

Its been 50 years...accept it.

question. do you guys call it Korea or South Korea?

Free World · Joined: 01 Apr 2005 Location: Drake Hotel

I just call it Korea most of the time. I assume the people I'm talking with understand that I'm not one of the 5 English teachers in the north.