Corea or Korea? | Asian American Issues

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KOREA OR COREA?
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:55 AM.)

e at GoldSea choose to honor the more natural rendering commonly used in the English-speaking world prior to the Japanese annexation and colonialization of Corea beginning in 1905.
     American and English books published during the latter half of the 19th century generally referred to the nation as "Corea" as recently as the years immediately preceding Japan's formal annexation of Corea in 1910. An 1851 map of East Asia by Englishman John Tallis labels the nation Corea. The same spelling is used in The Mongols, a 1908 history of the Mongol race by Jeremiah Curtin, the world's foremost Asia scholar of the day, as well as in several books by American missionaries published between 1887 and 1905.
     Japan's annexation of Corea didn't become formal until 1910, but for all practical purposes Japan had become the power that regulated Corea's relations with the outside world in 1897 when it defeated China in a war over Japan's ambition to exercise control over Corea. The only other power willing to contest Japan's supremacy in the Corean peninsula was Russia. When it was easily defeated by Japan at Port Arthur in 1905, the annexation of Corea became a fait accompli. Anxious to avoid a costly Pacific conflict, President Wilson ignored the pleas of a delegation of Corean patriots and their American missionary supporters and turned a blind eye to Japan's acts of formal annexation and colonization of Corea. During that period Japan mounted a campaign to push for the "Korea" useage by the American press. Why? For one of Japan's prospective colonies to precede its master in the alphabetical lineup of nations would be unseemly, Japanese imperialists decided.
     Japan's colonial rule over Corea ended on August 15, 1945 when it lost World War II. Now that Corea is eagerly shedding the last vestiges of the colonial period, even demolishing public buildings erected by the Japanese (for example, the monstrously immense colonial governor's mansion), forward-thinking Corean and Corean American journalists, intellectuals and scholars are urging the American media to revert to the original, more natural rendering of Corea.
    The changeover will pose a problem only in English-speaking nations as other western nations never accepted the "K" spelling. For example, France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, among many others, use the "C" rendering.
     English convention, too, is on the side of the Corea rendering. Non-European names are romanized with a "C" (Cambodia, Canada, cocoa, Comanche, Congo, and even old Canton, for example) except where the first letter is followed by an "e" or an "i", (as in Kenya). Other than that, the "K" spelling is used only in connoting childlike ignorance of spelling conventions ("Kitty Kat" and "Skool", for examples).
     Therefore, the American "K" spelling is

offensive from a historical standpoint (remember "Peking" and "Canton"?);
violates western rendering conventions;
suggests a lack of sophistication toward Corea; and
by connoting naiveté, imputes a lack of sophistication to Corea and its people.

The Corea rendering will ultimately become universal when more Americans are educated as to the offensive and relatively recent origin of the "Korea" rendering. The English-speaking world was responsible for agreeing to Japanese efforts to change the spelling of Corea's name in English useage. Who better than concerned Asian Americans to help change it back?

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WHAT YOU SAY

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Talk about political correctness run amuck! What is this, Sesame Street? "Today's letter is C!" YES - Korea with a 'C'...Good, good. We've got rising tensions in the Middle East, children going to bed hungry, Mariah's exhausted - not to worry.

But wait! A sovereign misspelled nation in the Far East barely able to function because of longstanding oppilations without the letter 'C' - now there's a problem, folks! This needs to be rectified immediately! In fact, now that we've nominated ourselves The Brothers and Sisters of the Politically Correct, we'll need to make some minor adjustments for everyone in our PC dictionaries (updated daily, of course.)

First, we'll start by scribbling out those 'words' that may be construed as 'offensive' by certain people. Let's begin by redlining the word 'Oriental'.

"Oriental is a place, not a person..." chimes Candi with an 'I'; a 20 year-old Womyn's Studies major from Ann Arbor, MI, who enjoys walks on the beach, aerobics, kittens and real people…(chorus) Ahhh!!…

For that reason, an amendment must be made to our PC bibles. We will refer to those ethnic groups with origins in Asia with replacement words that have not been deemed offensive by, 1. Those that heard the word 'Oriental' could be offensive, 2. Those who also heard from others, and so on, that the word 'Oriental' was offensive, and therefore must be offensive, and 3. Candi with an 'I'.

Additionally, We, the Brothers and Sisters of the Politically Correct, shall never say again…never ever again, for fear of offending the Easily Offended, when speaking the Queen's English, the terms 'Westerner' or 'Occidental' to indicate a person of European extraction, or of the Western hemisphere - in public or alone when speaking with oneself or a religious deity. These sanctions are to ensure that those formerly referred to as 'Westerners' will continue to live their lives in auditory harmony; knowing full well that they've been safeguarded from vulgarians who boldly use these nasty non-PC words. Anglophones conversing with almost concupiscent disregard, uttering words like "Oriental" and writing Corea with a 'K' - heavens! Many a redfaced sailor out there I'd say! Just imagine where Corean companies like Hankook, Daewoo and Hyundai would be today, stymied only but for the virulence of the letter 'K'.

Please note: This may include those of the West but not from the West, and visa-versa, with origins in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Christmas Island, or those persons residing in galaxies far away. To correct this conundrum and ensure accurate political correctness, lightly tap the person on the shoulder in a friendly manner, smile and proceed to hum in a monotone manner. Shortly thereafter, begin loudly repeating the phrase, "Lamboozle! Wamboozle!" while crossing your eyes, gyrating your hips dramatically and spinning one's own index finger at one's own nose. If the native fails to respond, continue by asking in a deep French accent, chin tucked into one's chest and eyebrows raised, "Might you know where the nearest heliport is?"

Next, we'll need to say 'Nippon' when referring to the former Japan in English, named from the Portuguese who -- wait, come to think of it, maybe we should just forget the Japanese! After all, according to some PC sources, it was the Japanese who started all this in the first place - who imposed the letter 'K' on the Coreans because they didn't want the Coreans to be before them in the "alphabetical lineup of nations". In fact, it is widely held by a couple of people of no fixed address or income that the Japanese themselves tried on several occasions to rename their motherland.

"Bapan" was a new name proposed by the Japanese Lower House, only because it sounded cute to the Japanese. Then "Oz" was proposed, or, "The Republic of Oz", for their love of the 1939 screen classic "The Wizard of Oz" starring Judy Garland. Finally, in 1943, a final effort at renaming Japan to "Cleveland, Ohio" was supposedly spearheaded by then General Hideki Tojo - only to try and confuse the Allies.

It was a result of these campaigns that lead the Chinese government many years later to proclaim Belgium "Wang Chung", in honor of the late 80's L.A.-based pop group. Not only did the Belgians have concerns about this, but Mitchell "Slappypappy" Swigglesnoop, longtime bagpipe player for the band maintains, "This almost broke up the band, man…I mean, wow…where would we be today if they actually used our name, man?" Troubling, indeed. Fortunately for Wang Chung's future successes in Minnesota state fairs and dinner theater, these initiatives by the Chinese were left to the wayside. However, it is widely believed that because of these movements, many saw the need to change the letter 'K' in Corea back to 'C', perhaps in large part to honor the popular jazz musician Chick Corea.

Look folks, with all this Korean v Japanese, Arab v Israeli, British v Irish, Indian v Pakistani, Puerto Rican v Dominican, East Coast v West Coast rappers…I could go on and on - is useless, and it's wrong to propagate it directly or indirectly. Changing the letter 'K' to a 'C' indirectly holds the Japanese people of today, including those men, women and children born long after a war they have no firsthand knowledge of, or have anything against the people of Korea or its diaspora -- accountable for the wrongdoings of the Japanese military and government of yesterday. Need I say here: we know the Japanese army did commit terrible crimes against other countries during WWII, and the Japanese government to this day has yet to officially apologize to any country for this.

But feelgood solutions don't work, because what's done is done. I agree that the word "Oriental" is waning in common usage in everyday American English, as did the word "Corea" spelled with a 'C'. For better or for worse - who knows? But should we bring one word back without justifying the other, only to prove that by using "Corea" again somehow mitigates the wrongs that may have suppressed the word in the past, and somehow the word "Oriental" should be cast to history and frowned upon in today's standard American conversation? Personally, I just think the word 'Korea' looks better with a 'K'.

Changing words around isn't gonna make it any better, folks. Making friends and lovers of all backgrounds without predicating them on what they are instead of who they are might be a good start.

The Rt. Hon. Ellery "Fats" Snizzlebutt-Davies III, (with four silent 'H's' and twenty-eight invisible umlauts stacked vertically over a hidden 'Q') Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 13:26:59 (PDT)

if you're so concerned to name yourselves "properly" why don't you use the names the people use for themselves. thus korea is hangook and it people are hangook saram, germany is deutschland and its people are deutscher and a migook saram is an american. by the way, korea is derived from koryo, which really should have been romanized to goryo. So perhaps gorea?
your pal,
kojaengi (or should it be cojaengi or gojaengi?)
kojaengi kim_il_sung@hongkong.com Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 18:03:09 (PDT)

P.S.
I'm not saying that Japan had never done bad thing to other countries.

Just sick of these kind of Korean lies,
"Tekondo is the origin of karate",
"Sawarabi is the origin of Samurai",
etc.etc.
What a shameless words!

I don't blame all Koreans but those who don't hesitate to tell a lie.
They may think Korean is allowed to do all kinds of terrible thing to Japanese, cos Jap done first.

We are sick of it.
Hey hey Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 01:25:54 (PDT)

Mr.Proud Korean.
Can you get the facts in this report?
Goldsea give us the facts?
No, They are only guessing.

'Japan mounted a campaign to push
for the "Korea" useage by the American press.'

.....And any proof?
Is there any document by the Japanese government or the utterance by Japanese people,"Korea should be Corea"?
It cannot be.
It is unrelated to Japan.
Only related to Korean illusion,which goes "Japan is evil".

Korean always saying"Because Japanese done that bad thing" or "did this terrible thing" and then "We want apology and compensation!".
We are sick of these extortion.

You proud Korean people can decide on your own, can't you?
Choose your favorite one and don't bother Japan.

Hey hey Tuesday, August 14, 2001 at 12:08:58 (PDT)

I find this issue interesting and a few of the comments are well thought out, like Ms. Anne Yan's statement that the government in K(C)orea should be the first to change the name if they feel strongly about it.

I disagree with the weak comments stating this is a childish issue or that it simply involves order of ceremony at The Olympics. If another country had occupied the USA and changed its name to Umerica or Amerika, this issue would be viewed differently by its citizens. Alphabetical order is not the issue.

But honestly I don't think most Asian-Americans will take the change easily unless the sovereign nation says so itself.

I also feel that a single reference in 1885 is not much evidence compared to the facts given by the Goldsea staff.

I myself am a proud Korean who harbors no animosity to the Japanese of today. But I am pleased to see Goldsea bringing this issue to light in a factual way.
Jeong Kang medeasin@yahoo.com Monday, August 13, 2001 at 10:15:02 (PDT)

Regardless of its origins, Korea spelled with a "K" is now inextricably part of the culture and identity of Korean-Americans. What about "K-town"? Should that now be "C-town"? And if so, would anybody know what C-town was? How about organizations such as Korean Student Associations in schools? If it were spelled Corea, then such organizations would be confused with the Chinese organizations, such as CSA, or whatever the acronym may be. The fact that Korea was somehow given a unique first consonant was perhaps a blessing that has enabled it to distinguish itself from the other "C" countries. So perhaps the "K" should be embraced rather than rejected.
_orea Monday, August 13, 2001 at 09:47:20 (PDT)

I've never heard of that before. Its interesting though, I have relatives whose last name is Corea, and they are not Asian let alone Korean as far as I know. Maybe they are way back or something. Anyways, who cares how Korea is spelled? I honestly never thought Cambodia was more sophisticated than Korea because it is spelled with a C instead of a K.
Lydia ThickeTXC@bolt.com Sunday, August 12, 2001 at 23:17:56 (PDT)

To the author who suggested that Asians have a bad enough reputation, I would suggest you clarify the real situation.

Asians do not have a bad reputation per se. Your real issue is the relations, present or past, between Coreans and Japanese. Realize, accept and convey the situation this way. Don't clump other nations into your own issue, because other Asian nations don't have any relevance to the issue you raise.

If you seek real and swift results, then bring appropriate parties into the discussion. Accessory nations would only muddle a situation they don't understand the intricacies of, and your frustation with non-results would only be prolonged.

In short, speak in the proper context of the situation. Any knowledgeable reader would realize this.
Just an observer Sunday, August 05, 2001 at 08:53:57 (PDT)

The following example has appeared in The Compact Oxford English Dictionary, New Edition, and Clarendon
Press (1991).

1614, R. Cocks (Letter,) He was prevented by a Corean noble man.
1822, F. Shoberl (The Titsingh Illustr. Japan,) A Corean Fisherman and his wife .....
1885, E. W. Hamilton (Diary,) Port Hamilton in Korean territory .....

You can see "Korea" in 1885.
Japan having influence
completely in Korea after Sino-Japanese War,1895.
And Korean annexation by Japan was in 1909.
Therefore,change of Corea -> Korea cannot be an intrigue of Japan.

I don't mind "Corea" or "Korea". It's up to Korean people.
But eh-, you better use "a" on top of the spelling. Maybe "A-Corea" or "Aah-Corea".
So you Korean people can be at front of the team march of the Olympic Games.
Hey hey Thursday, August 02, 2001 at 01:50:28 (PDT)

It is a very absurd conspiracy theory!
Koreans are entire spoiled children.

Corea was replaced with Korea in the end of the 19th century.
Deservedly, Japan had not affected the country in the English area in the 19th century.

Moreover, it is the common sense in the world that the Japanese government replaced Korea with Chosen in 1911.
They changed into C from K.
Next, they are changing Chosen into Tyosen in 1937 for change of a Roman alphabet translation system.
But Korea did not exist as a country in such a time.
It is clear that they did not care about the spelling of Korea.
They did not care even about an initial of Japan.

At once, visit Library of Congress in the United States.
Korean needs to investigate old books, such as "Annual Report on Reforms and Progress in Korea."
Probably, Korean also understands the common sense in the world.

Isn't there any reason for suspecting Japanese people?
Isn't South Korea a friendly nation in Japan?
Korean should stop troubling Japanese people using an absurd conspiracy theory.
ordinary man Friday, July 27, 2001 at 16:17:24 (PDT)

who cares? Most Korean Americans probably dont even know that. I am going to Korea in 3 weeks for a year to study Asian history. I have many Korean friends who dont even know that. THis is the first I heard about Korea and Corea. Anyways it is Hanguk in Korean language. So C and K arent even an issue.
Korea bound Tuesday, July 24, 2001 at 22:10:13 (PDT)

This article is an example of Koreans' nationalistic pride? Funny, I don't see the author's surname to even hazard a guess if s/he is Corean. Perhaps the credit was deleted by the time I read it...

About changing the spelling, I support it wholeheartedly. One could leave things be but that would imply acceptance of a military government's culturally destructive and vile occupation of a "weaker" country.
TG Thursday, July 19, 2001 at 13:19:01 (PDT)

Please, why bicker at these things? It's not like us Asians have a bad enough reputation already. Ok get this, there was this big Christian get together at Urbana-Champaign a few years back, and I was working there. You know, the entire Christian philosophy of love your brother, love your neighbor, love one another. And somehow, some Japanese and some Koreans were assigned to the same room. Oh boy did they raise hell about wanting to be reassigned. But we were booked full and we couldn't shuffle anyone around. From the Christian perspective, it would have been an opportunity to let bygones be bygones, forgive, heal, and accept. But no, I guess not. Kinda made me doubt the whole genuinity of the whole conference - and they had the nerve to try to convert me after that fiasco... *tsk*
Nikita Wednesday, July 18, 2001 at 10:33:26 (PDT)

Congratulations..

The most stupid post I have read in a long time. How many country names have not been changed during the history, after wars or revolutions. Why dont we go back and use the name of nations as they were since the dawn of their time then?

Face the facts
Korea Tuesday, July 17, 2001 at 22:35:45 (PDT)

This issue shows how Korean have childish nationalistic ego.
They don't wanna walk behind Japanese at Olympic or something.
That's all.

For their foolish pride, they don't hesitate to distort the history.
Watch out! The Korean are coming! With full of Propaganda!

Japan or Zipang? who cares! Wednesday, July 11, 2001 at 22:47:47 (PDT)

It should be Corea just cuz it looks better!
Viewer Friday, July 06, 2001 at 11:44:52 (PDT)

As a matter of fact, the Korean (or Corean) government(s) should be the one responsible to make the correction, because Regarding geographical names, the international community follows the decision of a sovereign country. For instance, Peking was formally re-translated into Beijing by the PRC.
Anne Yan Thursday, July 05, 2001 at 10:46:47 (PDT)

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