ed Korea must campaign for plain language
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By Lee Chang-sup
Prime Minister Chung Hong-won has instructed government employees to use plain language and to refrain from using adjectives or adverbs in their reports. Chung said civil servants often use vague, empty expressions.
Indeed, the Korean government is full of bureaucratic expressions that are difficult to understand. It is quite refreshing for Chung, a lawyer, to point out problems involving complicated language. As a lawyer, most of his career centers on documents packed with legal jargon that’s hard for many to understand.
The prime minister gave several examples of “governmentese.” For instance, civil servants often say, “The government will implement the plan without a problem.” They frequently use words like “effectively” and “as soon as possible.” Chung said the government often mentions “effective measures that will be implemented through coordination among government agencies,” but doesn’t specify the effective measures and start dates. Similarly, Korean lawmakers use “annual expenses” to refer to their salary. Senior officials often say, “The government will seriously consider the plan.” Does this statement mean that the government does not seriously consider other plans? Does “seriously consider” indicate a decision for the plan?
There are many other examples of lengthy, complex regulations and expressions in the government. For example, finance officials and central bankers often say, “The government will flexibly manage the currency rate,” but do not clarify how the government will do so. Further, financial regulators use terms such as DTI, which stands for debt to income, and LTV, which stands for loan to value, in assessing a person’s financial situation. The DTI ratio indicates the percentage of a person’s monthly gross income that goes toward debt payments; a low DTI ratio means a borrower’s debt obligations are not too high compared to the income. On the other hand, the LTV ratio expresses a loan as percentage of the asset that was purchased. A low LTV ratio indicates a lower risk of default by the borrower.
Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman nominee Shin Je-yoon mentioned a “level playing field” between local and foreign financial firms. This means non-discriminatory treatment of local and foreign financial companies. Shin also indicated a “surgery” on the financial industry. How does a regulator perform a surgery on financial companies? His statement might mean that he will change bad financial practices and rules.
Likewise, slogans often raise more questions than answers. President Park Geun-hye adopted the “creative economy” as a motto of her administration. She also emphasized “economic rejuvenation,” which her father had used four decades ago. She also promised to promote the people’s happiness. However, many people question this agenda. They aren’t sure where the economy stands or how a national leader can make people happy.
Why do government officials use such obscure words? Why do the media make a verbatim report? Government officials and the media falsely believe that all audiences understand such complicated expressions.
It’s not just government officials who are at fault for using complicated language. Doctors, pharmacists and scientists use complicated words that patients can hardly understand. Even news outlets have their own language that can confuse readers. For example, they often combine Korean and English words to produce new words like “polifessors” (political and professors) and “Burberry men” (flashers).
Korea is not alone in its lack of plain language. President Barack Obama puzzled many people worldwide when he used the words “sequester” and “fiscal cliff” in recent speeches. The public doesn’t easily understand these terms, which are often used to describe the financial trouble of the U.S. government.
The United States has initiated a campaign to use plain language, from which Korea can learn. In 2010, the U.S. Congress enacted, and President Obama signed, the Plain Writing Act, which requires the government to use easy-to-understand language.
In addition to the act, the U.S. has a non-governmental organization (NGO) to advocate for plain language. For instance, the Center for Plain Language provides ClearMark and WonderMark awards annually to government agencies and the private sector using the best and worst language, respectively. These awards are designed to encourage plain language among government agencies, private companies and NGOs. The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) is a group of federal government plain language advocates who are responsible for the website (
). Readers will find many helpful resources on that website, including a checklist for writing in plain language that people can understand and read. The Center for Plain Language sponsors conferences and workshops. PLAIN offers plain language trainers to government organizations to help employees use plain language. Many American companies have appointed plain language experts to promote sales.
Plain language benefits organizations in many ways, including reducing costs and increasing revenues. In a more specific example, the tax office may be better able to collect taxes if taxpayers understand the tax codes. When people understand more, they often contact customer service less, which would save an organization time and money. Plain language can benefit society in general, too. For example, it can reduce crimes related to misunderstandings.
Prime Minister Chung’s campaign for plain language should involve all government agencies, NGOs and private companies. Individual professionals such as teachers, journalists, scientists and lawyers should also join the campaign to use plain language. The prime minister should consult lawmakers to create a bill that promotes plain language at all levels of society. The time has come for Korea to legalize the use of plain language in official documents and speech.
Lee Chang-sup is the executive managing director of The Korea Times. Contact him at editorial@ktimes.co.kr
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