IQNA – At a time when South Korea had almost no sources on Islam, Othman Kim decided to build a bridge between divine revelation and his native language.
According to Muslimsaroundtheworld, Othman Kim, the first translator of the meanings of the Quran into the Korean language, began his journey with faith, precision, and solitude; a journey that over the course of five decades has become a symbol of a scholarly and cultural endeavor that today, in the form of scholarly collaborations, has left a living and fruitful legacy.
For Othman Kim, the journey to translate the Holy Quran began with a solo effort in the 1970s, and it took him three years to complete the first edition. He later edited and revised his translation three times to ensure the accuracy and preservation of the meanings of the divine book.
The history of Islamic culture in Korea records his name as the first person to began translating the meanings of the Holy Quran into Korean. This pioneering effort began in the 1970s, when Korean libraries were almost completely devoid of any authentic Islamic reference books. Kim undertook this project with a completely individual effort and a deep sense of responsibility.
The fact that the translator himself later edited his translation three times indicates his awareness of the complexities of conveying the meanings of the Quran into a language that is fundamentally different from Arabic in terms of its structure and meanings.
For Othman Kim, translation was not just a literal transmission of meaning, but a process of understanding and reflection that required re-compilation, careful interpretation, and consideration of cultural and linguistic differences in order to preserve the spirit and sanctity of the Quranic text.
This groundbreaking effort shows how Othman Kim’s experience grew from a pioneering individual initiative into a cornerstone for a broader scholarly movement in South Korea that later paved the way for further Islamic studies and other translations by scholars in the country.
Today, as he participates in a new scholarly project to produce a revised version in collaboration with other translators, his experience has established itself as a cognitive and cultural bridge that connects the text of the Quran with the minds and consciences of the Korean audience, based on accuracy, honesty, and a deep awareness of meaning.
Othman Kim’s words demonstrate the enormous scientific and linguistic responsibility placed on translators of the meanings of the Holy Quran, especially when dealing with a structurally and semantically different language like Korean.
After publishing the first edition of his translation, Othman Kim realized that, given the nature of the Korean language, conveying the linguistic subtleties inherent in the Holy Quran required greater care and consideration. Then, drawing on past experiences and his commitment to accurately conveying the Quranic meaning, he rewrote the translation three times in a row.
The translator explains that the following decades saw the emergence of other translators who presented new studies and works, contributing to the expansion of Islamic scholarly endeavors in Korean. This growing research movement reflects the growing presence of Islam in South Korea and the growing need for authentic texts that accurately reflect the spirit of the Holy Quran.
Othman Kim confirms that about two years ago, he began a new collaborative project with Son Joo-young, a translator of Islamic texts, with the aim of producing a revised and more comprehensive edition that benefits from all previous experiences. This collaboration combines extensive experience with a modern linguistic perspective, paving the way for the publication of an edition that is expected to become a valuable reference for Korean speakers.
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