English Use on Korean Websites
Rules about English on Korean web sites.
- First rule is easy……. DON’T USE ENGLISH!!!!
(unless you are teaching English specifically). - English should be used for DECORATIVE purposes only. But not as main content or for anything you expect people to read and comprehend. (they will either ignore it or not get it).
- Accepted standard “Konglish” words can be used–but only if there is NO korean replacement and one is VERY CONFIDENT (with empirical evidence) that is “commonly” (like more than 90%) used and understood by Korean netizens. For example: “피일” (file) or “로그인” (login).
- when in doubt….see rule 1.
now that’s not too difficult is it?
It’s not that koreans CANT read it… it’s more just that their eyes glaze over when they see a lot of English. Its just takes too much energy and too much like work for any but the most fluent in English in a society inundated with information, spam and flashy websites. And honestly, I can relate.
Exceptions:
- of course, sites targeted to international audiences or English languange learning etc. BUT even these sites would be better off following the rules… they just get a LITTLE more slack. Have an English version and/or have a Korean version. Don’t be getting all “fusion” with it and think that makes you cool. All that does is make you less accessible.I’ve seen many many many english hakgwon sites (English language/foreign abraod school sites) make the mistake of thinking just cause they offer services for learning English or study in an English speakin country…. that their site goers have more aptitude or comprehension of English on their site/ad.
THEY ARE WRONG. They site goers have more expectatoins or maybe tolerance of seeing English…. but they are no more accepting or taking it in as any other site.
Example: I’ve done a bunch of marketing programs for international schools or sites that insisted on have an ad or whatever mostly (if not all) in English and thinking that was ok because of the nature of the service they were selling.
Result….not good. In two different email campaigns I ran offering study in English speaking country, (the same type service for both)…one email was mostly in english and one mostly in Korean. The emails were basically identical otherwise….
– English: click-through rate…..0.85%
– Korean: click-through rate…..15%!!!!!
to say that is a HUUUUUUUUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE difference would be an understatement.
the proof is in the pudding, as they say.
- Logos and CI (corporate image) related
Company names are acceptable in English. This is NOT cause it makes your company look cooler (which is a reason many DO use) but simply because you need a enlish domain name.There is a LOT of controversy (or I should say I get into a lot arguments about this
) about what a name should sound like. That is, does it need to “sound” Korean or English (western)? does it need to be easy for Koreans to remember or PRONOUNCE? and or vice versa.Well, the answer is …..depends.
its case-by-case. Different companies have different needs and markets. Obviously a site really only looking at the Korean market has differnent considerations than the one’s that also need an international presence. I can go into this at length…but for now… let’s leave it at “english is ok for a company name”. - Slogans.
this is a case-by-case as well …and one should refer to the articles and my comments on this in the biz forums. That said, unless your are a big multi-national conglomerate… just stick with korean (for comprehension) AND English if you just want to be sexy.
lol
The Geek fallacy.
ok… to illustrate a point I thought I’d explain a REAL argument I’ve had about 239840328 times with those I lovingly call “geeks” whether that means, programmers or just fairly well versed in English (English geek). But mostly with programmers, designers or other who are very involved with the Internet from a “professional” view.
The fallacy? They assume that most Korean netizens will can or will read and comprehend a lot more English than they actually do.
its a problem of “lowest common denominator”. That is, geeks are biased and waaay too far in the box to remember what people DONT know or do not what to see. That is, a lot of English. Programmers and designers are the equilavelent of internet English “power users”. They program in English, have software often in English, often have a higher level of education under them, and well just more familiar with English around the web. So they are invariably biased as to what the “normal netizen” sees or comprehends.
This is actually a very common problem in all levels of business—from marketing, engineering to politics etc etc etc. …but as such, it applies here as well.
When making a site that needs to have the MOST accessibility to the widest audience…. you need to reach the lowest common demoniator of the audience you are targeting. And in the case of teh Korean internet (or most Korean sites)…. that basically means. …..
NO…NONE…NADA…..ZIP for English. 
For example, many of the younger netizens in korea (VERY VERY active online) are also the least studied in English (still studing it in school and well…. its gunna be more “Hello? How are you? I’m fine, thank you” than “download your file here!” )
students still hate homework and English is homework. you do the math there. lol
Also, older netizens are busy and get 98234792387489 things to read online or in email. Needing use 0.0000001% more brain power to proces English is not on things they would choose to do if at all avoidable. If they “don’t mind” and think its ok to see it in English… then they are a “geek” and their opinion doesn’t count. LOL jk (but you get the point).
The only English a lot of these people know is FROM THE INTERNET. and its the KOREANIZED “KONGLISH” VERSION (English converted to Korean characters phenotically)
Am I underestimating or overstating? MAAYYYYYYBEEE in the sense that its 100% true. But I bet its at least 90% true and that should be good enough. And if you’re website is about BUSINESS (not just a pesonal website were you wanna show off your English skillz)…. there is no logical reason to be cutting out that much of your audience.
Again, when in doubt……. use Korean or Koreanized English (Korean characters).
if you still have doubt…then ASK A 8year old (OR) find a random High School student *(NON technical study) if they know what a word means.if they know..then you found a geek.
it’ll be quite clear from that point on.
DISCLAIMER: I am in NO WAY saying Koreans are bad at English, can’t read English or stupid or whatever ridiculous implication or inference. This has nothing to do with ability or skill, just about the nature of a busy netizen (me included).
of the search market here…and that’s about the only place SEO really gunna work for you.