SEOUL, KOREA- state-run enterprise's effort to promote Korean foods overseas is under criticism for its awkward English expressions. Congressman Lee Un-Ryong (New Frontier Party) said on October 17 in a parliamentary inspection on the Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp., "The promotional material created by the government-invested company has been ridiculed by millions of foreigners all around the world for its improper English usages."
The expressions in question included the adjective-noun pairs used in the Global K-Food Project commercial released on YouTube a week ago such as "fabulous seaweed," "calm citron tea," "romantic mushroom," "pleasant paprika," and "happy ramen." The National Assemblyman said these are English phrases that would be understood by Koreans but not by native speakers.
The project, sponsored by the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and the Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. with the budget of 15.4 billion won, is intended to support the exporters of Korean food. Of this, 6.5 billion won was set aside for making promotional videos and print materials.
To this, an Agriculture Ministry official responded, "The copies were written that way deliberately to make strong impressions on the listener. But some people may find them unnatural."
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