Seoul metropolitan government announced Sunday it had finished building its database for English used in a variety of signs, public relations material, maps, and web sites for accurate marking of foreign languages prior to the hosting of the 2002 World Cup Finals. Citizens in doubt of English names for streets in Seoul or administrative institutions and hospitals can check up the English dictionary on the Internet at www.englishname.net.
To lay down the "standard," Seoul has composed an advisory committee for marking foreign languages, comprised of some 10 foreigners and professors in English, Korean and Chinese and prepared some 20,000 examples.
The dictionary is divided into 10 categories, including administrative districts, culture, athletic facilities, education, religious institutes, businesses, organizations, geographical place names, tourism and lodging, and 58 segments in detail for an easy search based on the Korean alphabet.
A spokesman said the local authority will continue to widen the scope of English so as not to cause confusion or inconvenience to foreign visitors with wrong expressions or spelling.
(Choi Hong-ryeol, hrchoi@chosun.com)
