Different Explicitness in Translations of Korean Feminist Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Kim Ji-young and Mother
Issued Date
2026-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
15135934
eISSN
26511479
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105037350976
Journal Title
Reflections
Volume
33
Issue
1
Start Page
235
End Page
254
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Reflections Vol.33 No.1 (2026) , 235-254
Suggested Citation
Yaowapa P., Phanthaphoommee N. Different Explicitness in Translations of Korean Feminist Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Kim Ji-young and Mother. Reflections Vol.33 No.1 (2026) , 235-254. 254. doi:10.61508/refl.v33i1.288480 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/116551
Title
Different Explicitness in Translations of Korean Feminist Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Kim Ji-young and Mother
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
This study examines the English and Thai translations of two Korean literary works, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 and Please Look After Mother. Using a feminist translation approach, the study found that the four versions employ most of the word choices, sentence modifications, explanations, and footnotes as feminist texualisation, but the translators for each of these novels do not fully adopt this feminist stance. Both the English and Thai translators of Mother portray women as enduringly difficult due to the presence of phallocentrism in their stories. Unlike Kim Ji-young, the Thai translator of Mother employed a more elaborate characterisation to elicit empathy from the reader by depicting the female main character’s great suffering. However, the Thai translators of Kim Ji-young used more footnotes to help readers understand the original’s sociocultural contexts. Some paratextual features, particularly in the Thai translations of Kim Ji-young appear to reflect the original intention of the writers, potentially reinforcing Korean perceptions of both feminist books. The paper also contends that specific translation procedures are indicative of the translators’ supportive ideological stance on the feminist movement, albeit at varying degrees of explicitness in the English and Thai translations.