Korea wants its name spelled with a "C" (to precede Japan alphabetically)

[Wonk]

SEOUL -- Is alphabetical order destiny?

Yes, say Korean scholars and politicians who have begun a drive to change the official English-language name of their country to Corea.

The seemingly arcane campaign is based on an increasingly prevalent belief that the original spelling with the letter C was switched to Korea by the Japanese at the start of their 1910-45 occupation of the peninsula, so that their colonial subjects would not precede them in the English alphabetical hierarchy.

The controversy used to be fodder only for linguists and historians, but lately the debate has become political.

(snip)

The North Koreans have embraced the movement to restore the spelling Corea with much more enthusiasm than their counterparts in the South.

(snip)

The debate is moot in the Korean language, which has an entirely different alphabet.

more...

Chapan still comes before Corea, not that it really matters, does it?

[NYC]

1. Things like this amaze me.

Thanks.

[LeftistGorilla]

2. It's true...

I was in Korea for the World Cup summer of 2002....
it's not everyone...not even the majority....
but lots of Koreans are still bitter over the occupation...
and they'll do/say anything to rub it in the face of the Japanese...

[Art_from_Ark]

3. And the thing is, in the Japanese alphabetic system,

(called the "50 sound system"), Korea (whether it's "Koriya" or "Kankoku") already precedes Japan (whether it's "Japan" or "Nippon")

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Personally, I think the "C" spellling of Korea

originated with one of the European languages (probably Spanish) that doesn't use "K". Since the romanized version of Japanese uses "K" for the "K" sound, it would only be natural that Japanese would spell "Korea" with a "K".

[Scimmio]

5. Chick Corea should sue...