ABSTRACT
Mediating cultural specifics is one of the most important elements of any interpreting activity. This chapter focuses on cultural aspects of Korean interpreting and aims at tracing and systematizing several principal points an interpreter working with the Korean language should be concerned with, as a guidance toward making proper linguistic decisions. The text has a primarily practical orientation and may be used for educational purposes. Notions related to the theory of intercultural communication are illustrated with concrete language examples, and cultural/linguistic features are explained with the help of actual cases, mostly borrowed from the author’s experience of interpreting and communicating with Korean speakers. This chapter briefly introduces some basic concepts of Korean communicative culture (chemyeon (체면), gibun (기분), bunwigi (분위기), and nunchi (눈치)). Some aspects of nonverbal communication (e.g., handshake intensity as a part of touch-related tacesics, protocol perception as a part of time-related chronemics) are discussed, which can help in forming a general approach to meetings with Koreans, especially at the stage of forming a partnership. This is followed by a more detailed examination of various aspects of verbal communication: etiquette and phatic expressions, lexeme semantics, grammatic tools, and so on. Background knowledge and extra-linguistic activity are tackled in relation to the performance of the interpreter. Understanding of the special respect for text in Korean culture, of attention to collective meals, and of some specifics of written correspondence, are also commented on as important elements of the required competence. Applying the foregoing aspects of communication not only enhances the professional skills required for Korean interpreting but often serves as the determining factor in successful intercultural communication.
