• Journal of Information Management
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.199-222
• /
• 2012

Due to the increase of international business and activities, Koreans nowadays have higher needs to present their personal identity to the foreigners. In this process, the first requirement is to exchange personal names with foreigners. Therefore, the phonetic translation of Korean names into Roman alphabetic notation is frequently required, in order to deliver Korean personal names to the people who do not understand Korean alphabet. However, some confusions have been witnessed in the way of transforming Korean names into Roman (English) alphabet notation, due to the fact that there are many different ways to put Korean pronunciation into Roman (English) alphabet. This study examines different formats of Romanization of Korean personal names to find and suggest an optimal one. It first examines structures of and differences between Korean and Western personal names and usage patterns, reviews the issues surrounding Romanization of Korean personal names, and patternizes diverse Romanization formats currently used. Based on these examinations and consequent findings, I would like to suggest a format for the Romanization of Korean personal names which is considered to be the best.