Korean Job Discussion Forums

[azzwell]

This is a dumb question but totally serious, "What is up with the spelling in English of certain Korean words differantly? Example Daejon/Taejon.

[JongnoGuru]

Short answer: "T" was correct under the previous Romanisation system, but "D" is correct under the new system instituted (shoved down our throats) in... I want to say 2004, but it may have been earlier than that. I won't google. Sick of googling.

For the same reason, Pusan became Busan.
Inchon became Incheon.
Kangnam became Gangnam.

Many other changes. I despise change.

[cruisemonkey]

It's not a dumb question... Hangul is phonetic... there are times you cannot put your toungue in the right place.

[canuckistan]

B-P, T-D, G-K are interchangeable depending upon who is doing the spelling.

[Ya-ta Boy]

There have been at least 3 different Romanisation systems for Korean. None of them are perfect. How could they be? Our alphabet was for writing ancient Latin, not modern Korean. So every decade or so the government wants a better system. Someone comes up with one and the government mandates its usage and then everyone ignores them. On top of everything, a good number of the sign-makers seem to be illiterate in English.

If it makes you feel any better, Taejon/Daejon and Pusan/Busan aren't their real names. The names can only really be written in Chinese characters.

[Hater Depot]

True. The propagation of Hangul actually drove several sounds out of the Korean language.

[Troll_Bait]

From my limited understanding, there used to be a triangular letter in Hangul which represented the "z" sound.

As Koreans stopped pronouncing the "z" sound, the letter was dropped from Hangul.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Mith?

[Troll_Bait]

[ double post ]

[Qinella]

[semphoon]

Korean in English sometimes doesn't fit...

Seoul (sounds like soul)....The correct name ���� sounds like Suh-ool. I think (please correct me if I'm wrong).