Why Korean Translation is Important for Your Business
Last updated on February 22nd, 2022 at 05:23 pm
South Korea, a small but mighty country with a population of almost 52 million, has continued to impress the global market by bringing major conglomerates such as Hyundai and Samsung. The country has become an economic success story as the first former aid recipient to an active member of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and is now listed as number 10 in the Top 25 economies of the world. Koreans continue to grow and expand their reach through major exports and even Korean media such as K-pop and film entertainment.
Their free trade agreements with over 58 countries and the birth of the K-Wave have pushed South Korea’s influence on the world at exponential rates. If you and your business are looking to expand your global reach, Korean translation services might be the direction for you and here’s why:
Translation services opens your business to new opportunities and accomplishes your professional goals — whether those are getting more sales, creating an online community, or connecting with new investors and partners. JR Language’s mission is to provide you professional translation and localization services for your individual and business needs. English to Korean translation services can make your website, legal or medical documents, social content, and overall brand messaging more available on a global scale.
So, why reach the Korean audience? Well, first you need to understand a little more about their history and culture and what makes them a valuable customer or partner.
If you take even 10 minutes of looking into Korea’s history, you will find a story of resilience and constant perseverance. Heavily influenced by their bigger neighbors, Japan and China, Korea has held onto its own culture and cultivated its unique language.
Though having a similar grammar structure as Japanese, Korea’s writing system adopted Chinese characters called “Hanja.” Eventually, the beloved King Sejong developed a new writing system in 1443 called “Hangul” to make the written language more accessible to his people. Unlike the complex characters of Japanese and Chinese, Korean Language has an alphabetic system in place that allows new learners to read Korean within an hour.
Over the centuries, the Korean language has developed into different dialects or Satori (사투리). The major dialects are the Seoul dialect in South Korea and Pyeonchang dialect in North Korea. Within South Korea alone, there are about 6 different regional dialects.
The people of Korea are respectful and kind; they have two different ways of speaking called 촌댓말 (chondaemal or formal) and 반말 (banmal or casual). If you are using English to Korean translation services, being aware of these two different forms of speech is crucial. Chondaemal is used for new people, elders, and those higher than you in status. People only use banmal for those younger than them, family, or friends.
Chondaemal also has different levels for business, written content, and TV broadcasting. Therefore, if you want Korean to English translation services, it is important to indicate your audience, and with that the professional translators will support you in creating the correct message, tone, and branding.
Maybe you are thinking that you want to connect with the Korean community in your region. Well, you’re in luck because Koreans are the fifth largest Asian subgroup in the United States, reaching more than 2.5 million. Canada is also the fourth country with the most Korean immigrants. The workforce is quite competitive in South Korea, so many students and young professionals come to these countries to study and work in hopes of increasing their opportunities. Consequently, our translation company we often received requests from universities to translate their marketing material to attract Korean students, or we received request from government agencies to produce Korean translation of informational content for their constituents.
The highest population of Koreans living abroad is in Los Angeles, having a population of over 300k and being the home to one of the largest Koreatowns. Many places in the US and Canada are hot spots for Korean tourists, and they prefer to go to places or find services that have their language available.
Using English to Korean translation services would allow you to connect with this large and hard-working community. People naturally like to read, communicate, and do business in their own language. Providing your services through professional Korean translators would add value to your business and shows you care about your customer’s experience.
So, you know that translation services can connect you with a global audience. What do you do next? It’s more than simply finding a translation company to get the job done; it’s about morphing your brand and marketing plan to reach your audience in an authentic way. Culture is deeply rooted in language, and at JR Language we use true native speakers of the target audience you wish to reach. In a respect-driven culture like Korea, it’s important to have a translation that connects with the audience. If the Korean translation is too casual, it can offend your audience. If it’s too formal, it can look stiff or unwelcoming. Whether it’s Korean, Japanese, German or Spanish Translation, we’ll work on your project for the specific recipients through localization and adaptation of content to make it feel as it was written for them.
Our team of professional translators are not only native speakers in the language the work on, but also professionals in the industry you are in. Doctors, lawyers, marketers, and more, our translators have the language and real experience in your field to offer accurate, culture-driven content ranging from legal documentation, contracts, licenses, marketing materials, and more.
When choosing a translation company, it’s vital to think about how you want to connect your image in the new culture so it is appropriate to their needs and the society moves in that country . You may have to change some parts of your branding, learn a new search engine, or social media platform (for Korea it’s the SNS app KakaoTalk). JR Language can help steer you to a completed project that resonates with both you and your audience.