Abstract
This article reviews various works in progress relating to the Journal of Biblical Text Research (JBTR), which is published biannually by the Institute for Biblical Text Research (IBTR) of the Korean Bible Society (KBS), and proposes possible future roles and functions of JBTR in Bible translation projects. Since 1997, fifty volumes including three supplementary volumes have been published by JBTR, comprising a total of 611 articles. In reviewing these publications, this article specifically focuses on: (1) the initial roles and functions of JBTR; (2) the Korean Translation Workshops (KTW) 2003–2009 and the publications of JBTR; (3) JBTR for Korean Bible translation projects; (4) the influence of The Bible Translator (TBT) on JBTR; and (5) the future roles and functions of JBTR in Bible translation projects. The article demonstrates how journals have contributed and can continue to contribute to Bible translation projects in Bible societies in cooperation with the United Bible Societies fellowship. In addition, further possible projects that the journal can meaningfully undertake in order to broaden its ministry and contribution will be discussed.
Keywords
The initial roles and functions of the Journal of Biblical Text Research
The Korean Bible Society (KBS) established the Institute for Biblical Text Research (IBTR) as its academic arm on the occasion of KBS’s centenary in 1995, and began publishing the Journal of Biblical Text Research (JBTR) in 1997. That same year, the provisional version of the New Korean Revised Version (NKRV, 1998) was published and distributed to church leaders of various denominations for the purpose of receiving feedback.
In the first volume of JBTR, the initial purpose of IBTR’s establishment was stated as follows:
The Institute continues to review the Korean Revised Version (KRV, 1961), Common Translation of the Holy Bible (CTHB, 1977), New Korean Standard Version (NKSV, 1993), and revisions of these translations, searches for problems in existing translations, and prepares resource papers to be reflected in the revisions. KBS will use the IBTR’s research activities, on the one hand, to develop personnel for the revision of existing translations and for new ones in the future, and on the other hand, to accumulate an intellectual heritage for the next generation of translations and revisions. (Ho-Yong Kim, “A Statement for the First Volume” [in Korean], JBTR, 1 [1997]: 5–6)
In order to serve this purpose, the first volume of JBTR (1997-08) published articles addressing issues related to NKSV, including “Textual Criticism for the Revision of an Existing Translation,” written by the first dean of IBTR, Young-Jin Min. In JBTR’s second volume, nine articles written by the revisers of KRV dealt with translation issues encountered in the production of NKRV.
Since 1997, fifty volumes, including three supplementary volumes (20-1 [2007], 24-1 [2009], and 31-1 [2012]), have been published, comprising a total of 611 articles. This total includes fifty book reviews, sixteen academic reports, and sixty-nine papers that were translated into Korean from other languages.
Including the most recently published vol. 47, JBTR has published a total of five articles which have dealt with exegesis, transliteration, study Bibles, etc., in relation to KRV, and seventeen articles about translation issues in NKRV with linguistic and exegetical reviews and studies on lexical meanings. Translation issues in NKSV were dealt with in a total of eight articles, and those in the revision of NKSV (RNKSV, 2001) were addressed in two articles. Two articles were dedicated to translation concerns in CTHB (1977) and one article to the revision of CTHB (1999). Apart from the articles directly related to specific Korean versions, most of the articles on Korean Bible translations analyze sentences or words of biblical texts and deal with comparative studies of existing Korean translations and various translations in English, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, etc. These studies suggest new possible translations that arise from analyzing literary and rhetorical devices, or new interpretations and theological meanings of specific biblical texts by using various interpretative methods such as textual, redactional, form-critical, literary, sociological, rhetorical, and structural criticism.
The main function of JBTR is, therefore, to review Bible translations in Korean and compile resources to be considered in the revision of the Korean church’s Bible. To this end, JBTR has accumulated a knowledge base of established research as well as more recent developments in the area of biblical studies, and has created networks with leading scholars in the field. From the first volume until now, JBTR has also been consistently updated with the latest research in the realm of biblical studies and Bible translation studies through the cooperation of the UBS fellowship.
The specific subjects and scope of articles are set out in “JBTR’s Instructions for Contributors” (attached at the end of each journal and available at the journal’s website, http://en.bskorea.or.kr/?page_id=830) as follows: (1) articles by scholars in Korea and abroad that contribute to a better understanding of the biblical text and to Bible translation; and (2) articles that discuss (i) research on biblical texts and biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek), and on other languages related to ancient Bible translations; (ii) research on hermeneutics, biblical manuscripts, Bible translation, history of textual criticism and Bible translation, etc.; and (iii) Korean Bible translations.
In four thematic editions, JBTR focused especially on children’s Bibles (vol. 6), translation issues related to the Lord’s Prayer in Matt 6.9-13 (vol. 8), study Bible projects (vol. 9), and the Textus Receptus and textual criticism (vol. 23). Since these were challenges that KBS faced, JBTR asked scholars in the field to research the issues. Even after many years have passed, the studies remain valid and useful to KBS for work on these and related projects.
Scholars from UBS and other Bible societies have also contributed articles to JBTR. Of the 611 articles in vols. 1–47, 118 are in English, in particular fifty-eight articles written by UBS TCs (or, more recently, GTAs), and other Bible Society scholars, such as Katie Badie (Alliance biblique française), Matthijs J. de Jong (Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap), Robert Hodgson, Philip H. Towner, and Roy E. Ciampa (American Bible Society), Edgar Ebojo (Philippine Bible Society), Junichi Iwamoto and Katsuomi Shimasaki (Japan Bible Society), Hannelore Jahr (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft), Ray Pritz (Bible Society in Israel), and Natarajan Subramani (Bible Society of India). As the authors shared their experiences in various Bible translation projects, they have helped to deepen and enhance the understanding of Bible translation in Korea.
The Korean Translation Workshops (KTW) 2003–2009 and the publications of JBTR
With support from UBS, JBTR published lectures from the Korean Translation Workshops (KTW), which were held every second year from 2003 until the final workshop in 2009. IBTR invited Translation Coordinators and TCs of UBS, other biblical scholars, and the TOs of KBS.
A total of twenty-nine lecturers from the UBS fellowship with field experience in Bible translation (scholars from UBS, ABS, and JBS) presented workshops: Phil Noss, Graham Ogden, Daud Soesilo, Anicia del Corro, Aloo Mojola, Kuo-Wei Peng, and Takamitsu Muraoka (from Leiden University) for KTW 2003; Lourens de Vries, Robert Hodgson, Phil Noss, Daud Soesilo, Ernst Wendland, Timothy Wilt, and Suee Yan Yu for KTW 2005; Bill Mitchell, Phil Noss, Ronald Ross, Edesio Sánchez, Elsa Tamez, Phil Towner, and Esteban Voth for KTW 2007; and Anthony Abela, Simon Crisp, Thomas Kaut, Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole, Anastasia Malle, Katsuomi Shimasaki, Phil Towner, and Simon Wong for KTW 2009. They shared invaluable international insight about Bible translation theory and practice with the attendees. In addition, thirty-two scholars who participated in Korean Bible translation projects, biblical scholars of diverse denominational seminaries, scholars of Korean language and translation, and KBS TOs also gave lectures at the workshops.
Papers by all the lecturers at KTW 2003–2009 were published in JBTR vols. 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20, 20-1, and 24. Through the workshops, diverse themes and topics were discussed, including: Bible translation theories; characteristics and principles of Bible translation; understanding the biblical text; ancient translations of the Old Testament; textual criticism; diverse media of Bible translation; ethical issues in Bible translation; translation and culture; history of Bible translation; and Bible translation into sign languages.
A total of 286 persons from various backgrounds took part in the KTWs as workshop attendees. Among them were students majoring in biblical studies in seminaries, biblical scholars, pastors with a desire for a deeper knowledge of Bible translation, students studying translation in universities, the laity interested in knowing more about Bible translation, and Bible translators from Asia, including Cambodia, Japan, Mongolia, and Taiwan.
In their evaluation of the workshops, participants from the UBS fellowship and Korean churches commented that the workshops helped to contribute to: (1) building an intellectual legacy of Bible translation for Korea’s next generation, (2) enhancing the understanding of Bible translation among Korean churches, (3) cultivating human resources to translate/review Bible translations in the future, and (4) facilitating interdenominational scholarly dialogue on Bible translation.
Three years after the last KTW, the New Korean Translation (NKT) project began (2012). Among the Korean lecturers and moderators of the KTWs, fifteen biblical scholars were invited to be translators of NKT. Clearly, the KTW gatherings of 2003–2009 were influential in catalyzing the new Bible translation project in Korea.
JBTR for Korean Bible translation projects
The role of JBTR is to encourage Bible translators, revisers, and reviewers to write articles on various translation issues and their academic experiences. In the early volumes of JBTR, there are many articles written by translators and revisers of the existing Korean versions, such as KNTNT, CTHB, NKSV, RNKSV, and NKRV. A translator of KNTNT has published two articles, four translators and three Korean linguistic stylists of RNKSV have published a total of fifty-two articles, and four translators of NKRV have published a total of five articles, all in JBTR.
Furthermore, thirty-four translators and one Korean stylist among a total of thirty-nine scholars who have been participating in the NKT project have also published 136 articles in JBTR; the translators themselves have directly contributed to JBTR, not only as authors but also as Editorial Board members. In fact, thirteen translators of NKT have been editing JBTR as Editorial Board members.
Twenty-two Korean Bible translators have been invited to the Editorial Board among a total of fifty-five members. They are professors who teach in the field of biblical studies at their respective universities and seminaries. As Bible translators, their experiences have helped in the editing of JBTR, and their work in editing in turn greatly contributes to work on Bible translation projects. Their tasks as Editorial Board members are to discuss the submitted articles, to choose three scholars in the field to review each submitted article, and to invite them to review the articles. The Editorial Board members then review the feedback from reviewers, and decide whether or not to publish the articles. The decision of the Editorial Board is communicated to the authors, together with the results of the review.
Since September 2013, through global cooperation with UBS, distinguished biblical scholars from UBS, ABS, and other institutions have also been appointed as JBTR Editorial Board members. Their roles are to introduce JBTR to overseas academia and also to share with Korea information about recent trends in Bible translation abroad. They also recommend Bible translation scholars from overseas for article submissions in addition to requesting their participation in reviewing articles written by authors from abroad. The Editorial Board members from overseas are as follows: Simon Crisp (2013–2019), Phil Towner (2013–2019), Esteban Voth (2013–2016), Stephen Pattemore (2016–), Lourens de Vries (2018–), Stanley Porter (2018–), Jean-François Racine (Graduate Theological Union, 2019–), and Kristin Weingart (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 2019–). The term limit for all committee members is two years, and they usually serve up to three consecutive terms. Among a total of eight members from overseas, six are also on the Editorial Board of The Bible Translator (TBT). Thus, it can be said that JBTR has been influenced by TBT since 1997 when JBTR was first published.
Influence of TBT on JBTR
According to the “Aims and Scope” printed on the inside back cover of TBT, “the aim of The Bible Translator is to be the vehicle of choice for publication on all topics related to Bible translation, and to uphold the highest scholarly standards while providing opportunity for those involved in Bible translation projects to share their practical experience.” In this way, JBTR has been influenced by TBT, and is different from other journals of biblical studies in Korea, as the only specialized Korean journal focusing on Bible translation issues and contributing to Bible translation projects in Korea.
In particular, TBT (published by UBS), the leading academic journal dedicated to the theory and practice of Bible translation, has published articles written by established and emerging scholars and by translation practitioners in areas including “biblical textual criticism, exegesis and interpretation; the history, theory and theology of translation; and the broader field of translation studies” (from “Aims and Scope”). TBT has also provided a forum for wider communities of scholars and students interested in a range of disciplines which influence the translation of the Bible, and encourages engagement between scholars and translators. All these functions of TBT have influenced the organization and operation of the KTWs, including the publication of lectures from those workshops in JBTR.
Interestingly, in 1950 at the onset of the Korean War, on the inside back cover of the first issue of TBT, KBS was mentioned on the list of twenty-three Bible Society offices which sold TBT domestically. Although KBS has no record that it actually distributed TBT on the Korean Peninsula during that period, this mention is meaningful because even in the midst of the Korean War, KBS worked on the revision of the Revised Version of the Korean Bible (RVKB, 1938) following the new orthographic system. At the very least, TBT likely helped the revisers of the Korean Bible accumulate knowledge in Bible translation.
In the introduction of that first issue of TBT, Eugene Nida clarified the initial aims of TBT: “The journal will attempt to deal with all types of problems, e.g., orthographies, Greek and Hebrew word studies, dialect difficulties, treatment of Biblical idioms, cultural equivalences, and complications involving grammatical categories” (TBT 1 [1950]: 1). In particular, TBT recognized specific translation issues: “Many diverse languages, such a Japanese, Korean, Palau, and Aztec, have substantially the same problems in their use of honorific titles and particles which identify the social status of the speakers and those spoken to or about” (2).
Likewise, Bible translators in the Asia Pacific region of the UBS fellowship have also recognized the issue of honorifics and have been studying how to translate using appropriate honorifics since the 1960s. UBS conducted a symposium on honorific forms in 1963 that specifically dealt with the difficulties in translating into honorific languages like Balinese, Burmese, Tongan, Japanese, and Chinese, in addition to many Indian languages such as Hindi and Bengali. Papers of that symposium were published in TBT in 1963 (14[4]: 145–97). Three decades later, the UBS Honorifics Committee, comprised of four Asian translation consultants, was established in the mid-1990s for the sole purpose of studying and exploring ways to translate biblical texts into honorific languages. In 2003, one of the proposed topics for the UBS Triennial Translation Workshop was “Politeness Strategy and Translation,” and six translation consultants presented papers related to that topic. TBT has also published articles dealing with translating using appropriate honorific expressions and investigating these honorifics-related phenomena in the languages discussed. These articles were written by Chitra Chhetri, Ji-Youn Cho, Kristofer Dale Coffman, Paul Ellingworth, Ronald Ross, Gam Seng Shae, Daud Soesilo, and Ernst Wendland.
JBTR has also published articles on the topic of honorifics, written by Ji-Youn Cho, Dong-Hyuk Kim, Yoo-ki Kim, Young-Jin Min, and Deokyu Park. All of the five authors have participated in NKT as translators, with one as a Korean stylist and another as a reviewer. In fact, the translation brief of NKT summarizes the approach to translating honorifics as follows:
(1) Use of archaic styles is to be avoided, and the formal non-deferential -da form or the formal deferential -bnida form is used as the ending form of sentences. (2) Dialogues in the source text are translated into normal spoken forms of the language, using appropriate honorifics from the Korean grammatical repertoire.
Before publishing the completed version of NKT, IBTR will need to hold forums dealing with honorifics studies related to Bible translation, and JBTR will continue to publish research on the issue, as TBT has been dealing with the topic within UBS more generally.
Since October 2011, JBTR has also published articles (translated into Korean) that were originally published in TBT. In JBTR 47 (October 2020), the Korean translation of Stephen Pattemore’s article, “Towards an Ecological Handbook for Bible Translators” (TBT 70[3], 2019), was published. Through the articles that are translated into Korean, Korean readers of JBTR are informed about global trends in Bible translation and gain a deeper understanding of various translation issues. Korean biblical scholars have had particular interest in the issues of Bible translation and have published their articles in TBT. Such scholars include Ji-Youn Cho, Min Suck Kee, Changwook Jung, Young-Jin Min, and Hyunwoo Shin.
The future functions of JBTR for Bible translation projects
The future contributions of JBTR to Bible translation projects can build on what the journal has been doing thus far. JBTR publishes articles that further the review of existing translations, offer resources for new translations and revisions, and expand the intellectual heritage for the next generation.
In order to achieve the above aims, JBTR should consider the need to fulfil the following functions:
Articles dealing with translation issues need to continue to be entered into and made available on the Bible Translation Database of KBS. In 2010, this internal database was developed to keep a record of passages where translation issues caused controversy and of passages that people often ask about. Much of the information and resources relating to Bible translation issues (for example, FAQs from churches and Bible readers), along with the articles of JBTR, have been entered into the database. Through the database, research results on Bible translation issues can be effectively managed, searched, and utilized. Articles from JBTR have been rearranged in biblical order, from Genesis to Revelation. Hence, even if there is a change of staff within the KBS Translation Department or IBTR, the research results that have been accumulated can be passed on and retained as a knowledge base for KBS. In fact, during the review process of NKT, the database will be used by the chief translators and reviewers.
The articles in JBTR can be linked to specific biblical passages as resources for the online version of NKT. In the online version, the Korean translations of a number of UBS translation helps will be linked to each relevant passage. These include The Works of Their Hands: Human-made Things in the Bible (by Ray Pritz, 2009), All Creatures Great and Small: Living Things in the Bible (by Edward Hope, 2005), Each According to Its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (by Robert Koops, 2012), A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (by Bruce M. Metzger, 1994), and the videos of The Bible Lands as Classroom (by Krijn van der Jagt and Ray Pritz). Alongside these resources, some of JBTR’s articles that address specific translation issues will also be linked to related passages. The online version will offer easy-to-use functionalities just like the format of the Global Consultant Notes in the Paratext Bible translation program. In order to read JBTR’s articles in the NKT online version, the users will need to log in through a gateway for academic research. The users can be biblical scholars, students, pastors, etc. Not all the articles of JBTR will support all the translations in the main texts of NKT, but users can at least see that translators were aware of various translation issues in the passage and can find support for possible alternative translations. This tool can help the academic development of translation research and also raise interest in the various translations. In addition, it will encourage users to access JBTR’s articles easily and directly.
JBTR will be able to help to develop diverse references such as the scholarly editions of the Bible, Hebrew dictionary, Greek dictionary, Bible atlas, and histories of the Old Testament and New Testament, etc. For example:
(1) The article, “Korean Translation of the ‘Introduction’ of Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th ed.” in JBTR 1 (1997) led to the publications of Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th ed. with Korean Foreword (2010) and Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th ed. with Korean Foreword (2014). The article, “Korean Translation of the ‘Introduction’ of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia” in JBTR 3 (1998) influenced the publication of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 5th ed. with Korean Foreword (2009). BHS includes English, German, French, Spanish, and Latin introductions, but the Korean edition has only a Korean introduction for Korean readers. The introduction also includes the translation of “An English and German Key to the Latin Words & Abbreviations and Symbols” of BHS (5th edition). The NTG with Korean Foreword also has only the Korean introduction, like the BHS with Korean Foreword.
(2) Before publishing the full version of books, book reviews were published in JBTR in order to get feedback from readers. A review of Der Text des Alten Testaments: Neubearbeitung der Einführung in die Biblia Hebraica von Ernst Würthwein (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2009) was published in JBTR 39 (October, 2016), and the Korean translation was published in May 2020. The Korean translation of Der Text des Neuen Testaments: Einführung in die wissenschaftlichen Ausgaben sowie in Theorie und Praxis der modernen Textkritik (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1989) was also published in August 2020. Although those books are not best-selling books in Korea, KBS decided to publish them because these academic books could be helpful to readers interested in studying the biblical texts and biblical languages, in comparative studies of the ancient Bible translations and manuscripts and in textual criticism. Norbert Buske’s Die Menschen der Bibel: Ein illustriertes Lexikon der Heiligen Schrift (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2014) and Mein Bibellexikon (Verlag Bibellesebund Deutschland, 2013) were also introduced in book reviews in JBTR 36 (April, 2015) and 45 (October, 2019). The books are being translated into Korean for publication in 2021 and will also be valuable resources for the NKT online version. Of note, JBTR has not yet dealt with a Hebrew dictionary or Bible atlas. JBTR did publish a review of the Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (by Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida; UBS, 1996), but KBS has not published the full printed version of the book. Nevertheless, JBTR will need to continue providing a wide range of academic references for use in future Korean Bible translation projects.
JBTR will need to encourage potential authors to contribute shorter practical papers. When the NKT project began in 2012, a total of nineteen short practical papers were published in JBTR 31-1 (2012) as a supplementary volume. In this way, the journal emulated TBT, which has published both major theoretical contributions and shorter practical papers. Some articles in JBTR have dealt with practical translation issues, but others also focus on interpretation and exegetical issues, like other academic journals in the field of biblical studies. After NKT is launched, JBTR will need to increase the publishing of practical articles that explain some of the new translations found in NKT or offer alternatives.
JBTR will have a substantial role to play in finding emerging Bible translators for future Bible translation projects. In the past, biblical scholars became Bible translators after learning from the resources of KBS and UBS. JBTR has provided not only important resources for Bible translators but also opportunities for biblical scholars to showcase their own scholarly achievements and new research in Bible translation issues. To this end, since 2014, IBTR has held small forums for emerging biblical scholars. From 2014 to 2020, sixty-six young scholars have participated in the forums, sharing their own academic research with other participants and getting connected with JBTR. Therefore, the journal will be able to make a special section for young scholars who want to briefly introduce their own studies. Through that section, IBTR can also identify scholars who have studied biblical texts, languages, textual criticism, Bible translations, etc., as qualified potential translators for new projects. The information will be very helpful in inviting future Bible translators, reviewers, and/or revisers from the field of biblical studies.
JBTR will encourage interdisciplinary studies for future Bible translation projects. IBTR held the first co-organized symposium with the Institute of Greco-Roman Studies at Seoul National University on November 22, 2019, on the theme of translating classical literature and the Bible. In addition, an email with a list of all the past articles published in JBTR and its submission guidelines was sent to various academic institutions. This mailing list will be expanded to include institutions in the academic fields of Korean language, linguistics, education, and translation studies. Such endeavors were acknowledged at the Korean government level when JBTR was officially registered and endorsed as a journal of academic significance by the National Research Foundation of Korea in 2010. This will help in attracting the interest and collaboration of non-Christian scholars in other academic fields to Bible translation projects.
More articles written by international authors will need to be published in JBTR. The journal has published articles by international scholars from UBS and other Bible societies (e.g., the KTW 2003–2009 lecture series), and the Editorial Board members from overseas have recommended distinguished scholars as potential authors. Along this line, after the collaborative workshop of the Nida Institute of ABS and IBTR of KBS was held on July 8, 2016, the lectures were published in JBTR 39. To continue this work, JBTR will need the cooperation of UBS and other Bible societies to hold workshops and/or forums for Bible translation projects. Through such events, Korean Bible translators will see how Bible translators in other language groups have faced similar issues and challenges, perhaps leading to valuable solutions.
Concluding remarks
JBTR has accumulated an ongoing knowledge base of the latest developments in the area of biblical and translation studies and has also established networks with leading scholars in the field from Korea, the UBS fellowship, and other Bible societies. Additionally, JBTR has reviewed existing Korean Bible translations and compiled resources to be considered in the revision of the Bible for the Korean church. It has not only provided a wide range of academic references for Korean Bible translators but has also found qualified scholars as Bible translators and trained them through workshops and forums.
In the future, the journal will need to (1) raise awareness and interest in Bible translation using various tools in the age of multimedia delivery of content, (2) develop diverse resources for new Bible translation or revision projects, (3) directly support such projects with the publication of shorter practical papers, (4) encourage interdisciplinary studies, and (5) invite more international scholars to contribute to JBTR in order to broaden understanding in Bible translation. In addition, as JBTR has paralleled some of the work already in progress in TBT, continued cooperation with the UBS fellowship and other Bible societies will be necessary in reaching our mutual goal to translate the biblical source text into the target text of each language faithfully and appropriately.
Abbreviations
ABS American Bible Society
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia
CTHB Common Translation of the Holy Bible (1977/1999)
GTA Global Translation Advisor (UBS)
IBTR Institute for Biblical Text Research
JBS Japan Bible Society
JBTR Journal of Biblical Text Research
KBS Korean Bible Society
KNTNT Korean New Testament, New Translation (1967)
KRV Korean Revised Version (1961)
KTW Korean Translation Workshop
NKRV New Korean Revised Version (1998)
NKSV New Korean Standard Version (1993)
NKT New Korean Translation (forthcoming)
NTG Novum Testamentum Graece
RNKSV Revised New Korean Standard Version (2001)
TBT The Bible Translator
TC Translation Consultant
TO Translation Officer
UBS United Bible Societies
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Korean Bible Society’s former General Secretary, Mr. Ho-Yong Kim, who established the IBTR. I am also grateful to Mr. Eui-Hyun Kwon (the CEO of KBS), Dr. Jae-Min Ho (the General Secretary of KBS), Prof. Dong-Hyunk Park (the Dean of IBTR), and Dr. Doo-Hee Lee (the Deputy General Secretary of KBS) for their support and encouragement in writing this article.
