Translating and Interpreting in Korean Contexts : Engaging with Asian and Western Others

The focus of this volume is on how the people of the Korean Peninsula―historically an important part of the Sinocentric world in East Asia and today a vital economic and strategic site―have negotiated oral and written interactions with their Asian neighbors and Europeans in the past and present through the mediation of translators and interpreters.

These encounters have been shaped by political, social, and cultural factors, including the shared use of the Chinese writing system in East Asia for many centuries, attitudes toward other Asians and Westerners, and perceptions of Korean identity in relation to these Others. After exploring aspects of historical interactions, the volume addresses how the role and practice of translation and interpreting have recently evolved as a result of the development of digital technology, an increase in the number of immigrants, and changes in political and cultural dynamics in the region. It covers a range of historical and contemporary aspects, genres, and venues that extend beyond the common yet restrictive focus on literary translation and includes discussions of translator training and academic studies of translation and interpreting in Korea.

Ji-Hae KANG is Professor of Translation Studies in the Department of English Language and Literature and Director of Ajou Center for Translation and Interpreting Studies (ACTIS) at Ajou University, South Korea. Her research focuses on translation and interpreting in institutional settings; issues of power, identity, and discourse in transnational exchanges; and the interplay between translation and digital culture. She is the author of Thongyekuy Ihay [Understanding Interpreting] (2004) and guest-editor of the special issue on "Translation in Institutions" for Perspectives (2014). Her articles have appeared in a wide range of peer-reviewed journals, including Target, The Translator, Meta, Perspectives, and The Korean Association of Translation Studies (KATS) Journal.

Judy WAKABAYASHI teaches Japanese-English translation and translation history at Kent State University in Ohio. Her current research mainly focuses on the history of translation in Japan but also in other parts of East Asia and beyond, with a particular interest in the methodology of translation historiography. She is coeditor of Asian Translation Traditions (2005), Decentering Translation Studies: India and Beyond (2009), and Translation and Translation Studies in the Japanese Context (2012), and the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters on translation.