Asian Games Promotional Booklet Filled with Mistranslation

English promotional booklets made for the 2002 Busan Asian Games are filled with mistranslations, marring the image of not only the hosting city but also the entire country.

The Busan Asian Games Organizing Committee (BAGOC) issued 15,000 copies of “Busan Asian Games,” a 20 pages-long official booklet written in English, in time for the Games and distributed them to 43 Asian Olympic Committee member countries, government agencies, sports organizations, foreign embassies, overseas Korean ethnic organizations and top-class hotels. The booklet, however, begins with an incorrect expression from the very beginning.

To inform the historic participation of North Korean delegation, it says “North Korea, confirms to participate in the Games,” which should have come without comma after North Korea. BAGOC chairman and publisher of the booklet, whose family name is Chung and given name is Soon Taek, is introduced as “Chung-Soon Taek.”

“Equestrian” is misspelled into “equastrian,” and there is the Ministry of Reunification instead of the Ministry of Unification with former minister Park Jae-kyu remaining as the head.

There are more than 100 cases of misspelling or misrepresentation of names of civic organizations, corporate partners, titles, places and even stadiums.

The content of the booklet is further posted on the BAGOC Web site (www.2002busanasiad.org) as “AG Newsletter” at the archive section.

The organizing committee also published 20,000 copies of “Guide to Arts Festivals” to distribute them to Asian Olympic Committee member nations, sports organizations, foreign embassies and the Korea Tourism Corporation and tourist attractions and local governments. The one-page leaflet does not lack in mistranslations, either.

It introduces a waterfront park located in Gwangan-ri as “Subyeon (meaning waterfront) Park” and Busan Regional Communication Office as “Busan Administration of Communication.” It names a philately exhibition held during the Asian Games as “Busan Fila Asiad 2002,’ inadvertently promoting a corporate brand “FILA.”

“The fact that the organizing committee, which is supposed to exert its best effort for seamless services in translation, guide, promotion and official events, made such mistakes is considered nothing but moral hazard,” pointed out Prof. Lee Sang-do at Busan University.

silent@donga.com