Korean Job Discussion Forums

mervsdamun · Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Location: Seoul

Recently there was a soccer match between the Korean side Jeonbuk and the New Zealand team Auckland City.

However, to my amazement, the Korean Football Association (KFA) have spelled Auckland as Oakland.
http://en.kfa.or.kr/main.asp
and
http://en.kfa.or.kr/news/news_kfa_content.asp?idx=183&content_id=180&block=&gotopage=1

Worse was to come.

When I wrote to [email protected] I was told that it�s Oakland because in Korea people prefer the North American spelling.
Shocked

CabbageTownRoyals · Joined: 14 Sep 2006

what the....

Natalia · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

If you ever need a definition of arrogance.........

itaewonguy · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

I just emailed the IDIOT! and blew him up!!!

what a tosser!!!

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

Hmm, I just sent an email to the address you linked, but had it returned with an error message. Anyway, hope the inbox gets flooded and it gets changed soon. What a dumbass.

Kimchi Cha Cha · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: was Suncheon, now Brisbane

I think they've made the error as both Auckland and Oakland are commonly translated into the same word in Hangeul as 오크랜드 even though they sound different. I guess many Koreans just presume it's an American English vs. British English thing and don't actually realise that they're completely different names.

That said, it is pretty darn arrogant not to actually look into it a bit further and realise they are not a variation of the same word but actually entirely different words.

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

Where's the emoticon for belly laughing?

Ekuboko · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Location: ex-Gyeonggi

I have seen 오크랜드 spelt as Oakland on the Asiana website as well. Shocked

Don't think they fly to NZ anymore, so not sure if you can still find the error.

BigBuds · Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Location: Changwon

Sounds like my tool of a first director in Korea.

Mailed over my documents to me and they never showed up. He kept calling me asking if I was serious about the job and why I hadn't gone to the embassy to get my visa. I kept telling him that the documents hadn't arrived.

Finally, 3 weeks later than they were suposed to arrive, my documents showed up. There were big stamps all over it, "Missent to Austria". He couldn't spell Australia so my documents ended up sitting in Austria for a couple of weeks, at least, while they worked out where they were really meant to be sent.

I brought the envelope with me to Korea to show him because it sounded like he thought it was my fault.

Nemo · Joined: 28 May 2006

When they play Wellington, it'll be North American-ized to Washington.

Very Happy

mervsdamun · Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Location: Seoul

Thanks to those that have taken the time to write but it seems they will not change their minds.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Let's all go protest outside the embassy. What an outrage!

Cheonmunka · Joined: 04 Jun 2004

I get redirected mail all the time from lazy Kiwis sending my stuff to China. Maybe they haven't read the country code properly or haven't checked the country. Maybe they simply think the beginning of the address and my wife's name sound Chinese so just flick it to Bucheon China.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

What an annoyance. I may use English spelling, but I still write Pearl Harbor. It's a place name and Pearl Harbour is wrong. Changing a city name to Oakland is just stupid.

thursdays child · Joined: 21 Sep 2005

This has been getting to me for ages! Last year I did an 'internet treasure hunt' about New Zealand and nearly all the students wrote 'Oakland' instead of Auckland. They all showed my the websites where they found this spelling - they were mostly different sites too!