New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong)

Definition and Name

The New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) is a Korean translation of the Bible published by the Korean Bible Society in 1998. Its formal title is The Holy Bible, New Korean Revised Version, and it is also known in short form as the Gaeyeok Gaejeongpan. The name indicates that the earlier Revised (Gaeyeok) Bible was itself revised once more. It contains both the Old Testament and the New Testament and is the most widely used translation in Korean Protestant worship and preaching.

Historical Background

Bible translation into Korean began with the work of missionaries in the late nineteenth century, and the first complete Bible, containing both the Old and New Testaments, appeared in 1911. A retranslation of this text, the Revised Bible (Seonggyeong Gaeyeok), was published in 1938. In 1961 the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul) appeared, updating this text to conform to revised spelling conventions. For several decades the Korean Revised Version served as the standard Bible of the Korean church.

In 1988 new Korean orthography rules were officially promulgated, and complaints persisted that the archaic expressions of the Korean Revised Version were difficult to read. In response, the Korean Bible Society undertook a revision based on the Korean Revised Version and published the New Korean Revised Version in 1998. The revision was not a new translation. While preserving as far as possible the style and familiar passages of the Revised Bible, it focused on the following changes:

• Bringing spelling and word spacing into line with current standards
• Updating obsolete words and smoothing awkward sentences
• Replacing expressions that were demeaning toward people with disabilities or illnesses

As a result, most of the older literary style, including archaic verb endings, remains. As in the Korean Revised Version, the divine name is rendered "Jehovah" (Yeohowa).

Use in the Korean Church

Since the 2000s most Korean Protestant denominations have used the New Korean Revised Version as their Bible for worship. Pulpit Bibles, Scripture passages printed in church bulletins, Bible study materials, and Scripture memorization generally follow this translation as well. In bookstores, editions bound together with the 21st Century Hymnal, published in 2006, are commonly sold.

When the translation was first introduced, some churches and pastors continued to use the familiar Korean Revised Version. Criticism was also reportedly voiced regarding the translation's accuracy and the scope of the revision, and some churches still use the Korean Revised Version today.

The translation in use also varies by denomination. The Anglican Church of Korea is reported to have used mainly texts of the Common Translation family in its worship. In addition, many churches use the New Korean Revised Version for worship while also using the New Korean Standard Version, likewise published by the Korean Bible Society, for personal reading and comparative study.

The copyright to the New Korean Revised Version is held by the Korean Bible Society, so permission from the Society is required to reproduce its text in publications or software. By contrast, the copyright term for the Korean Revised Version is reported to have expired, and it is used relatively freely in online Bible services and similar settings.