This paper aims to explore which abilities are required for Korean-into-English translation and to identify the major problems encountered in translating Korean source texts of pragmatic nature into English. To achieve the intended goal, 1) a short piece of English translation (Original Translation) done by an up-and-coming Korean translator who has about three years experience in the field was chosen and examined, against an analysis of the Korean source text; 2) a veteran Korean translator was asked to correct the Original Translation (Revised Version); and 3) an experienced native-speaking English editor (who speaks just a little Korean) was asked to edit the Original Translation as freely as seen appropriate (Rewriting).The study reveals that Korean translators working from Korean into English should be capable of 1) accurately grasping the intended message of the original writer by seeing through opaque linguistic elements so often found in Korean texts and 2) re-expressing the discovered message in natural English translation. Although this study is far from conclusive, its findings suggest that accurate message comprehension and an ability to render the message in natural English―without being distracted by the idiosyncrasies of Korean texts―are vital to good translation from Korean into English.
