Lingo Language Service boosts Korean corporate image

Joseph Fontenot, left, and Alan Fontenot have a script reading before going into the studio at Key Sound in Gangnam, Seoul, Friday. / Korea Times

By John Redmond

For Korean companies launching products and services abroad, getting the initial message across is not always as simple as it seems.

Aside from cultural differences and language translation issues, there are other hidden complications. Making sure the product on screen is not obscured by too many subtitles.

Korean arm of FURSYS, short for furniture systems, that specializes in industrial furniture, chose to have a new promotional video feature less dialogue and more accurate translations from Korean to English.

A sound engineer gives a check at Key Sound studio in Gangnam, Seoul, Friday. / Korea Times

With a huge selection of hospital, office, laboratory and even classroom furniture the pitch had to be very broad, so a newly formed company Lingo Language Services was recruited to not only take care of grammatical problems, but simplify the script.

Formed by Toronto native Jon Bell, who has been in Korea for over 14 years, the task was to ensure a clear concise script, but also recruit experts in the field to do the English language voice over work to add some variety to the promotional video that will be screened at trade shows in Europe as well as the U.S.

The recording session took place at Key Sound studio in Gangnam and featured professional voice actors in radio and TV.

“I selected people from different backgrounds to get away from the whole stereotype American sound,” he told the Korea Times on the night of the sound recording.

“I had a few Americans, an Australian, an Italian and some French Canadians to give it a little edge,” he continued.

Lingo Language Services focuses on corporate language translations for presentations, advertising, copy and proof editing for Korean businesses.

“These people are determined to get their message out, and our job is to make that happen,” Bell stated.

Currently Lingo Language Services’ website is under construction.

For information on FURSYS contact https://www.fursys.com/fur_frt/common/main.do.