The work, presented to the bishops’ conference at the end of 2002, is now being examined. The Catholic version of the Bible in Korean is expected to be issued in 2005.
This will be the first Catholic edition of the Bible in that language. Since 1977 the Catholic Church in Korea has used an ecumenical translation. However, Father Callistus Jung Tae-hyun, one of the translators of the new version, found that the current translation, from the Greek, had problems.
The head of the translating team, Father Joseph Im Seoung-phill, who is secretary of the Biblical Commission of the Korean Bishops, said the aim was to produce a translation as faithful to the original texts as possible and also easily readable.
The translation work was divided among a team of translators. Texts were then revised by experts in Korean language and literature.
The president of the Biblical Commission, Bishop John Chrysostom Kwon Hyok-ju of Andong, says the achievement marks a milestone in the life of the Church.
