Letter to the Editor

Correction requested, writer responds

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Dear Editor,

I'm writing this letter to request correction in the article, Old Folks at http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1843496.html

Since South Korean government initiated a phonetic system for transcribing Korean into English in 2000, each local government has its own official English orthography. Therefore, Inchon needs to change into Incheon (www.incheon. go.kr) accordingly.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I'm looking forward to seeing the error corrected.

Sincerely,

Korean Culture and Information Service

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Writer responds

Dear Sirs,

Editor Crosby passed along your e-mail telling of the change in spelling of some of your cities. This is to acknowledge that I got that information. I would like to say that your message is misdirected. If you want the spelling of your cities changed you should be contacting younger and future generations who may embrace that change with no problems.

Personally, I was offended by your rebuke.

In 1950 more than a million Americans came to the aid of the South Koreans, to help save your country from communist domination. Some 40,000 plus of those Americans died in that struggle.

As a member of that group of Korean War Veterans still living, I would say that we shall continue to use Inchon and Pusan as we learned those names more than 60 years ago (except for some that might use much worse terms).

In my writings of Korea, of which those veterans are my audience, they would not recognize those new spellings; therefore, I do not intend to change.

Walt Sehnert

McCook, Nebraska

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  • Way to go Walt I to remember it as Inchon army class of 1986

    -- Posted by mbrownsl on Wed, May 9, 2012, at 11:21 AM
  • Well Said, Walt. IMHO, it is time, perhaps, that we take that attitude, spread it more broadly across the board, and tell that to everyone out there who want all this country can give them, yet demand on dragging their failed attitudes here, trying to change our system of life into that failed system they drag here. I'll keep my words in parable form, but we need draw the line and protect that line of differences (unless We the People agree to 'adopt' what they bring, as our standard). Aaarrgh!!

    -- Posted by Navyblue on Wed, May 9, 2012, at 5:05 PM
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