"Pass to the Corner!" "Awesome Rendezvous Home Run" Foreign Language Usage Deeply Embedded in Sports

Overuse of Foreign Terms like 'Doru (Steal)', 'Byeongsal (Double Play)', and 'Corner Kick' in Sports
Forum Held to Promote Proper Use of Sports Terminology

The photo was taken at the Hangul Day celebration held in front of the King Sejong statue at Gwanghwamun Square in 2018. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Seul-gi] #"What is a 'Rendezvous Home Run'?" On the day 30-year-old office worker Kim Su-hyun (pseudonym) watched a baseball game for the first time, he felt confused by the unfamiliar sports terms mixed with foreign words. He also had difficulty understanding the commentators who used Japanese-style Sino-Korean words like doru (??, stolen base) and byeongsal (倂殺, double play) without any explanation. Kim said, "I thought it would be much more natural and easier to understand if they used pure Korean expressions."

On the occasion of Hangul Day on the 9th, opinions have been raised that we should be more aware of the foreign words and loanwords we have been using carelessly. In particular, there are criticisms that indiscriminate use of foreign words and loanwords in sports terminology makes it difficult to convey meaning. Some argue that on Hangul Day, the use of foreign or loanwords that are used indiscriminately should be avoided.

In baseball, the term 'Rendezvous Home Run' is used to describe consecutive home runs. 'Rendezvous' is a French word meaning gathering, meeting, or secret meeting, but the correct term is 'Back To Back Home Run.' Back to back means standing with backs against each other. Therefore, a back-to-back home run means home runs hit consecutively as if standing back to back.

The same applies to soccer. Most terms used to describe game situations or players' roles, such as 'goalkeeper,' 'corner kick,' 'pass,' and 'heading,' are all English words.

Given this situation, there are opinions that indiscriminate use of foreign words should be avoided. In 2012, the Korea Communications Standards Commission pointed out that terrestrial broadcasters used many foreign words and loanwords during the London Olympics sports broadcasts.

According to the '2012 London Olympics Sports Broadcast Language Usage Analysis' report released by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, announcers and commentators frequently overused foreign words and loanwords in broadcasts of major Olympic events such as swimming, judo, archery, and shooting.

On the occasion of Hangul Day, an opinion was raised that there should be awareness about the indiscriminate use of loanwords and foreign expressions in the sports world. The photo shows a child looking at an exhibit at the National Hangul Museum in Yongsan-gu on the 8th, one day before Hangul Day. Photo by Yonhap News

The analysis showed that in archery broadcasts, foreign words such as 'gold rail' (the path to winning a gold medal), 'full drawing,' 'riley,' 'follow-through,' and 'shoot-off' (overtime) appeared; in judo broadcasts, terms like 'perfect match,' 'half (yuko),' 'top ranker,' and 'return match' were used; and in shooting broadcasts, words like 'load,' 'free pistol,' and 'carrier' were cited as unnecessary foreign word usage.

Even sports fans familiar with the games expressed difficulty understanding the meanings due to foreign terms. Nam Ji-hyun (pseudonym), a 20-something office worker and fan of a professional soccer team, said, "Honestly, when watching soccer games, I often tilt my head in confusion at unfamiliar terms. Also, since most soccer terms are in English, sometimes the commentary feels unfamiliar."

Nam added, "Since soccer originated in England, it's natural that many terms are in English, but I think it would be good to try changing parts that can be expressed in Korean."

Meanwhile, in 2018, the Korea Sports Journalists Federation held a Sports Media Forum at the Foreign Correspondents' Club on the 18th floor of the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, to promote the proper establishment of sports terminology.

Jeong Hee-don, president of the Sports Journalists Federation, proposed, "Let sports media workers take the lead in eliminating incorrect expressions that pollute the beautiful ecosystem of our language and guide it in the right direction."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.