English in Korean Advertising: An Exploratory Study

The use of English language names, titles, and catchphrases are often presented in advertisements that do notnecessarily target English-reading clientele in South Korea. This paper explores the functionality andcharacteristics of English text found in Korean promotion. This was a multistep exploratory study of the use andacceptance of English in Korean advertisements. First, various Korean media sources were scrutinized todetermine the percentage of promotions that exhibited English and how it was utilized. Second, a surveyregarding the acceptance and perception of English in these promotions by the Korean consumer was conducted.Third, a vocabulary test of the most common English descriptive words utilized in Korean magazineadvertisements was given to Korean business students. It was determined that 59.5% of the advertisementscontained English words. The survey revealed evidence that English in Korean promotions is well received withthe majority agreeing that the English language is novel or exoticness. The twenty most commonly foundEnglish words presented in Korean magazine advertisements were only understood 58.5 % of the time by thebusiness college students surveyed. This study shows that international and native Korean firms are havingsuccess in the Korean market by using marketing that integrates English has a means to show style and appeal tothe Korean customers. The findings suggest that the Korean consumer finds the use of English to be appealingregardless of their comprehension of the language itself.