ABSTRACT
Inspired by Rosemary Arrojo’s analysis of narratives about fictional translators to theorize the transformative role of translators and translations, this essay assesses the translator’s role in light of the international success of South Korean film and literature. The global recognition of Shin Kyung-sook’s Please Look After Mom (English translation by Chi-young Kim), Han Kang’s The Vegetarian (English translation by Deborah Smith), and Bong Joon-ho’s film Parasite (English subtitles by Darcy Paquet) have led to increased attention on translators and the importance of translation. This essay examines the narrative produced in the non-fictional texts—such as reviews, editorials, media coverage, and scholarly analyses—about these English translators of Korean fiction. Exploring some of the contemporary issues regarding literary translation in Korea reveals some dilemmas specific to translating Korean cultural products: the changes and continuities in the perception of translators; the claims of ownership of works; and the ethics and qualifications of translators. Arrojo’s claims of the “common prejudices” regarding translation and the relationship between the original and the translation as well as the “inner struggles” of a translator are applicable in examining Korean to English translations and translators, and furthermore lead to discussions about national anxieties and meaning control.
