Important Tips for Korean Localisation
Korea is a strong market for localization and more than 75 million people across the world speak Korean, most live in South and North Korea. South Korea is a lucrative and fast-growing market so brands who want to establish a presence in the country should prioritize focusing on Korean localization.
The Korean Writing System
The Korean alphabet called Hangul or Hangeul in S. Korea and Chosŏn’gŭl in Northern Korea was first invented in 1443 by King Sejong the Great. For several hundred years before its creation Koreans used classical Chinese characters called Hajnal. However, many people of the lower classes couldn’t read or write because of the differences between Chinese and Korean and because of the presence of so many Chinese characters. In order to enhance literacy, King Sejong the Great created a new Korean alphabet which was designed so that people with not much education could more easily learn to read and write.
Understanding the Nuances of the Korean Language
The Korean alphabet is called Hangul, which has 24 vowels and consonants which are grouped in blocks. Each of the blocks consists of 2 to 6 letters and has a minimum of one consonant and one vowel. Postpositions are suffixes or short words that are put after a pronoun or noun. These suffixes give rise to the syntax while also indicating the relationship that exists between the verb and the object or subject in a sentence. When a choice of postposition is made it will depend on the pronunciation of the noun. Because of these complex problems translating literally between English and Korean will create too many problems because it is not easy to know which postposition is right in different contexts.
Understanding honorific speech in the Korean language
Koreans use honorific language in order to communicate respect between speakers and their subjects/listeners. In a hierarchy, honorifics communicate relative positions and they are used to indicate respect to somebody high up in the hierarchy or somebody who holds higher social status.
Localizing for a Korean market
Professional English to Korean translation that is localized needs a professional translator who can accurately translate the text so it sounds or reads authentically. Failing to do this could mean certain errors and nuances won’t be translated in the right way to suit the market.
Localizing content for Korean audiences
Localizing content enables the business to gain access to native Korean audiences who will understand the context of the marketing messages.
Use professional localization services
Getting accurate translations is never that easy but localization plays a massive role in conveying the intended message accurately it is only a professional localization service that will get the results you want from your marketing campaign. A professional localization service will use the best native speakers who know the ins and outs of the Korean language so that your marketing message is delivered in the right way which avoids ambiguities that could confuse the reader.
