Game localization is critical for studios looking to enter the Korean gaming market and earn the support of Korean players. With a massive and attentive player base, investing in quality game localization services is essential.

We turned to our Localization Manager at PTW Korea, HwaYeon Jeong, as well our Localization QA Manager, Namgil Kim, to learn the dos and don’ts of the local gaming market and discover best practices for how to localize your game successfully for Korean players

Gaming in South Korea

As of 2024, the market size stood at $13.7 billion, the 5th largest game market worldwide with 29.6 million players. Korean is one of the top three Asian game translation languages. With minimal censorship policies, it’s one of Asia’s most unrestricted and appealing markets for global developers.

Even more compelling is just how accessible gaming is for the population in Korea (source: KOCCA – Korea Creative Content Agency):

But while this vibrant and accessible gaming culture offers immense opportunities, player expectations are equally high.

Why you need quality game localization in Korea

Reaching Korean players requires a deep understanding of their gaming culture, expectations, and preferences. Failing to meet these expectations can have significant consequences: “Users are very interested and involved in localized game content, to the extent that they complain or even boycott games when they feel that the localization level is not respected,” explains Namgil.

Put another way, players in Korea are so passionate and outspoken that they can influence the success of your game.

Challenges

Localization in Korea is often a complex and nuanced process that requires attention to linguistic detail and cultural sensitivity to meet players’ needs.

Linguistic Nuances

The Korean language often changes meaning based on spacing, while also featuring intricate systems like kinship terms and honorifics. “In Korean, you use honorifics and informal speech depending on your relationship with the other person,” Namgil explains. “For example, the English word ‘aunt’ is translated differently depending on the familial relationships, such as paternal or maternal aunt.” Immersing players effectively means tracking relationships and maintaining consistent character details throughout the game.

Translating game texts from Japanese to Korean, while sometimes convenient, also poses unique challenges. HwaYeon shares, “One of the biggest concerns is how to balance literal and paraphrased translations. Japan, like Korea, is a Northeast Asian country that belongs to the cultural sphere of Chinese character-based languages. The grammatical structure of the Japanese language is similar to that of Korean.” She explains, however, there are many cases where the same Chinese-character words are used differently in practice, so “paraphrasing indiscriminately could result in mistranslating the source text and losing its exact context and nuance.”

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural adaptation is another critical aspect of localization for the Korean game market. There are many cultural elements—social, political, religious, and historical—that must be handled carefully to avoid potential backlash or controversy. For instance, Namgil explains, “People are often classified by socioeconomic factors such as wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social standing, or derived power.” He emphasizes that while these issues are not unique to South Korea, it’s essential to tread carefully to avoid offense or discrimination.

However, certain topics that are specific to Korea, particularly politics and historical issues, should be handled with care. It’s best to avoid sensitive content related to the Japanese colonial period, the Korean war, and the military dictatorship of the Republic of Korea. Namgil also shares that political ridicule can be seen as taboo, such as any depictions that might make a mockery of political figures in Korea.

It’s equally crucial to check for issues in both the game’s script and visual assets during Localization QA testing. HwaYeon relates: “Most of the sensitive factors appear in the text and are corrected during the translation phase after reporting back to the client. However, these issues are occasionally discovered in graphics and more when previewing data or builds.” In such situations, the team flags the issue to the developers to ensure content aligns with Korean cultural norms.

Best practices for localizing games into Korean

The key to high-quality localization comes down to making sure the adaptation respects the player and their cultural norms while maintaining the authenticity of the original game. This is where having multilingual experts who are passionate and knowledgeable about games makes all the difference.

We asked Namgil and HwaYeon about the most important aspects to consider and the practical approaches they use when localizing games for the Korean market.

Translating names, terminologies, slang, and idioms

When translating names or terminology, the choice depends largely on the studio’s vision and Korean language norms. HwaYeon explains, “We use the terms provided by our clients as they are, and if they need our input, we translate them into terms we deem most appropriate and then suggest them to our partners.”

As for slang and idioms, it comes down to using terms that align with the intended nuances while remaining easily understood by local players. “For idioms that are persistently used in Korea without negative connotations, we suggest them,” says Namgil.

HwaYeon shares an example of an idiomatic phrase that required special care in regards to the interpretation of Chinese characters:

“We recently used the Chinese character word ‘不祥事 (불상사)’ in a sentence that was translated from Japanese to Korean.” In English, this can be translated roughly as either ‘ominous things’, ‘misadventures’, or ‘scandal’. However, HwaYeon explains that “It felt strangely awkward compared to what it meant in the context of the original text.”

Upon further research, she discovered the Korean term “불상사” means “inauspicious event” and is mainly used for unexpected events or accidents that occur unavoidably due to circumstances beyond one’s control. But in Japanese, the same term refers to an incident causing damage to social trust (or scandal), created by an individual or group of a certain social status. So, she and the team ultimately translated the original the Japanese word “不祥事” as “불미스러운 일” in Korean—meaning something unsavory, or an unpleasant matter—to better reflect the original meaning of the Japanese text.

Conveying humor and metaphors

Humor and metaphors are often tied to specific cultural experiences, making translation challenging. HwaYeon describes it as “the most troubling moment” for a translator. She explains that while some idiomatic expressions can be easily replaced with Korean equivalents, other humorous elements are deeply rooted in the language and culture of the source material. “It’s often difficult for us to respond 100% to them,” she says, as these elements are often tied to the unique aspects of a literary work, and changing them risks losing essential parts of the original.

Namgil adds: “When using humorous expressions or metaphors, it is important to first understand their original meaning. Then, we look for several alternative Korean expressions that can represent what the original texts mean and choose the most appropriate one.” For example, he cites a phrase that the team translated from Japanese: “王さまをささえることです,” which roughly translates to “supporting the king”—referring to a soldier who plays the role of carrying the king on a palanquin. To translate this expression with the appropriate nuance, the Korean translation chosen was “왕을 받드는 것입니다”, which conveys the meaning of both “respecting” and “holding up” the king.

However, to navigate these challenges effectively, HwaYeon emphasizes that translation at PTW is a collaborative effort. “It’s not a solitary task,” she explains. “Usually, several members working in a team will offer various opinions on the same issue and then gather them to find the most appropriate translation.” The collaborative approach ensures the team finds the best fit for each cultural element.

Balancing transliteration and free translation

HwaYeon shares that the choice between transliteration (converting text from one script to another, focusing on representing the original sounds) and free translation (translating the meaning of the text rather than sticking closely to the original wording) often depends on how familiar a term is to Korean audiences.

For instance, the Japanese term “Shinsengumi” (新選組)—referring to an elite group of swordsmen in Japan from the 1800s—is known locally in Korea as “Shinseonjo” (신선조), but due to its appearance in various fictional works, the Japanese pronunciation has also become familiar and is sometimes used directly. HwaYeon adds, “Sometimes there are native words that are difficult to transliterate, and their meaning might not be fully conveyed phonetically.” In such cases, paraphrasing or directly rendering the meaning in Korean ensures clarity and authenticity.

Namgil also shares his approach to English terms: “Many English expressions are already part of everyday Korean, but for unfamiliar words, we use the IPA or foreign notations.” He emphasizes the need to respect original or parodied terms, like “Syncedia,” a play on the 15th-century Italian weapon, the “Cinquedea” from Fire Emblem, ensuring they’re adapted without losing meaning.

In cases where a foreign word is commonly used in Korea, and there is no Korean equivalent, Namgil explains that they accept it as a foreign word (loanword). This does not mean that the pronunciation of the original text is written as is, where it may differ from the pronunciation commonly used in Korea.

Maintaining the storyline and dialogue

Ensuring the original storyline and dialogue are preserved while adapting them for a Korean audience is at the core of any localization project. “The most important thing when doing the translation works is to faithfully reflect the content of the original text. The goal is to convey the meaning of the original text without damaging it as much as possible,” states HwaYeon.

However, conveying a studio’s vision is rarely a straightforward process. Namgil explains that overcoming this comes down to the team’s ability to collaborate: “We proceed with localization and adaptation works through frequent communication, such as asking colleagues and developers.”

HwaYeon adds, “Of course, there are cases where it is judged necessary to adapt it to the local context. It varies a lot depending on the target age group of the work. In these cases, we usually get instructions from our clients before starting the localization work, or we develop instructions through consultation with them and then proceed with the work.”

Maintaining the storyline also depends on the translators' understanding of the original work. “It’s most important to have sufficient interest in the original work and build up background knowledge about it,” says Namgil. “By acquiring in-depth knowledge of the source material, we ensure that the game’s essence is preserved while meeting the expectations of the Korean audience.”

Partnering up for success

There’s a lot to consider when localizing for the Korean market. With an active yet demanding gaming community, addressing all the cultural nuances and delivering a polished product is essential.

Planning to publish your game in Korea?

With two studios in Korea and over 40 more worldwide, our localization professionals combine a passion for games with linguistic expertise and over 10 years of experience in the local market. Get in touch to explore how we help be your gateway to the Korean game market, bringing your story to more players around the world.