Dokdo or Takeshima, Kimchi or Paocai?... Serious Errors in Google Translate

There is growing criticism over translation errors in Google Translate for Korean representative terms such as "Dokdo" and "Kimchi."

Professor Seokyungdeok Facebook

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On April 28, Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women's University pointed out on his Facebook page, "When you translate 'Dokdo' into Japanese using Google Translate, the result is 'Takeshima' (竹島), which is the name Japan insists on using. This is clearly a mistake." He went on to explain, "Last year, a Netflix variety show provided the Japanese subtitle for Dokdo as 'Dokdo' (ドクト), which is the correct phonetic notation in Japanese."

Professor Seo also addressed the issue with the translation of "Kimchi." He stated, "When translating 'Kimchi' into Chinese, Google Translate still produces '泡菜' (Paocai) as the result," emphasizing, "Kimchi and Paocai are entirely different foods." He added, "In 2021, the government revised the 'Guidelines for the Translation and Romanization of Public Terms,' specifying that the correct Chinese notation for Kimchi is '辛奇' (Xinqi). The current situation with Google Translate's errors for these iconic Korean terms is serious."

Additionally, Professor Seo said, "Recently, errors in Google Maps regarding the labeling of 'Gyeokryeolbiyeoldo,' known as the 'Dokdo of the West Sea,' and the misdirection to Japan's 'Tsushima Airport' when searching for 'Dokdo Airport' have been corrected. We will continue to address the translation errors for Dokdo and Kimchi through ongoing protests and public discussion."

When accessing "FlightRadar24" from Korea, it is labeled as "Dokdo" (left), and when accessed from Japan, it is labeled as "Takeshima" (right). Professor Seo Kyungduk Facebook

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This is not the first time there has been controversy over the labeling of Dokdo. In December last year, the world's largest flight tracking application, "FlightRadar24," labeled Dokdo as "Takeshima," sparking debate. This app, operated by a Swedish company, provides real-time global flight information.

It was also reported that on Instagram's user location-sharing feature, introduced last year, Dokdo is labeled as "DOKDO" in Korea but displayed as "TAKESHIMA" in Japan.

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