Emergence of Korean English is part of the series ‘Routledge Studies in East Asian Translation’ (edited by one of the authors, Jieun Kiaer), and is mainly addressed to scholars of World Englishes and Korean studies. The book, written by two seasoned researchers of the Korean English language contact setting, intends to provide an overview of the ‘interactions between Korean and English’ (p. iix), with particular reference to pop culture, digital media, and fandom roles. It is structured into eight chapters plus extensive appendix, proceeding from introduction (Chapter 1) to historical dimensions of the Korean English language contact situation (Chapter 2), discussion of terminology related to the contact varieties of the South Korean context (Chapter 3), phonological, morpho-syntactic, and lexical features of Korean English (Chapter 4), pragmatic features of Korean English (Chapter 5), fandom-related language features (Chapter 6), language attitudes as embodied by the notion of ‘English Fever’ (cf. Chapter 7) and a conclusion (Chapter 8). Altogether, the book is short, and with approximately 100 pages of running text (excluding the list of affixes in Chapter 4 and the appendix, see below) it provides an accessible read for those interested in a concise overview of the language contact setting in South Korea.

The strengths of the reviewed manuscript lie in the historical chapter, which draws on rich and so far underexplored archival resources as well as statistics to illuminate the Korean English language contact from the early days of contact to contemporary time, and the use of many examples throughout the book in the form of screenshots and figures. In addition, many readers will certainly find the chapter on fandom language of particular appeal and interest. An especially useful feature is the manuscript-final list of Anglo-Korean affixes, that is, English-origin prefixes and suffixes and their respective use in Korean. This includes numerous examples and explanations and is an extremely convenient overview of the productive range of blended Korean-English word-formation processes (including items like -con, a clipping of concert and used in the Korean words olkon, all + -con, ‘attending all concerts of a musician’, and cheotkon, first + -con, ‘the first concert of a tour’; p. 147). The appendix is an extension of the list presented in Chapter 4, where the authors over a length of 30 pages list more Anglo-Korean affixes. Exemplification of the categorization system in the running text and a full list in the appendix might have been a better choice in organizing the manuscript, however, as it provides a somewhat disjointed reading experience in the adopted form.

A similar feeling is generated by the chapter on Korean English pragmatics which seems to jump from one topic to the next (address terms, language choice, pragmatic awareness, expression of emotions). Even though very helpfully illustrated with a figure of Korean address terms for readers without or only very limited knowledge of Korean (p. 86), the section on Korean address terms sports no references to the rich literature on the Korean address term system (see, e.g., Hwang Reference Hwang1991; Kim and Brown Reference Kim and Brown2014; Kim Reference Kim2015; Cho and Jo Reference Cho, Jo, Shei and Li2022 and the references cited therein). The authors are doubtlessly familiar with this rich body of work, having themselves published abundantly in the field (see, e.g., Ahn Reference Ahn and Sharifian2017; Ahn and Kim Reference Ahn and Kim2021; Kiaer et al. Reference Kiaer, Driggs, Brown and Choi2022); omitting these, therefore, must have been a conscious decision in writing the manuscript – although arguably these references might have been helpful for readers less familiar with the topic. The section also does not go beyond an overview of the basics of the Korean address terms, so it is unclear how this system affects Korean English speakers specifically. In order to take these initial thoughts further, it needs additional explanations, summaries of previous studies (e.g., Locher and Messerli’s work on fan translations in K-drama subtitles which often references matters of the Korean honorific system, including politeness and terms of address; cf. Locher Reference Locher2020; Locher and Messerli Reference Locher and Messerli2020), or empirical examination of Korean English language use. For the skilled reader, these will certainly provide interesting starting points for their own research projects.

Altogether, some statements presented in the manuscript need to be taken with a grain of salt. Just one case in point can be found in the following sentence on the creativity of novel Korean English affixes (such as momgorithm from mom + [al]gorithm; example given by the authors): ‘Although these affixes generally create new trends in Korean society, they also enable the creation of words that satirise or criticise the old and unchanging aspects of Korean society’ (p. 78). While it is the case that these word-formation processes capture societal trends, it is doubtful that they do in fact create them. In other cases, evidence (either in the form of citations or description) is lacking. For instance, the authors claim that ‘[c]onflicts among Koreans, even leading to violence, can arise from the improper use of address terms and styles’ (p. 85). Without any kind of further explanation, it is unclear in which cases the use of ‘incorrect’ speech level styles or address terms would lead to violence and how this escalation would proceed. A final example to be given here is the statement that Korean English speakers (e.g., expatriates, diaspora members, K-culture fans) ‘naturally transplant pragmatic elements of the Korean language into English to create pragmatic meanings that English has no means of conveying’ (p. 82). It is left unspecified in the surrounding text which pragmatic features are lacking in English, how these are ‘transplanted’ from Korean, and how they are used by Korean English speakers. As readers need some previous general linguistic knowledge to contextualize and evaluate the content, the manuscript thus seems less suitable as student reading but will be of relevance for experienced readers with an interest in the Korean English language contact settings and its outcome.

While certainly impressive in thematic scope and a great overview of the many fascinating aspects of the Korean English language contact setting, the manuscript would have benefited from a clearer focus on specific phenomena and a more thorough description of literature and evidence. It will prove most valuable for readers who are as yet unfamiliar with the Korean English contact setting and in its briefness will be a text providing inspiration for readers’ own explorations into the genuinely compelling language contact between English and Korean – which, as the manuscript certainly shows, goes beyond national borders in a truly transnational manner.