Bible translations into Korean


Until the 1990s, most Korean Bible translations used old-fashioned, antiquated language. This made it difficult for Christians that preferred colloquial terms to comprehend what the Bible said. By the 1990s, more colloquial and contemporary versions of the Korean Bible translations came about for Christians, which made it easier for them to comprehend and understand the words from the Bible in a more precise way.

Conventional

Prior to 1784

Prior to 1784, the small number of upper class Roman Catholic Christians in Korea had used Chinese Bibles, as those were translated into Classical Chinese by Jesuit Missionaries, which are shared between the two countries.
1784 – Roman Catholics translated a commentary on the exposition of the Bible, called the "Interpretation of the Bible". This contained various passages of scripture and proverbs translated from the Chinese Bible.

Before 1945

  • 1887 – The Ross New Testament by John Ross et al., at Dongguan Church in Mukden, Manchuria
  • 1900 – Henry G. Appenzeller New Testament. Methodist Episcopal. Appenzeller's team includes Horace Grant Underwood, William B. Scranton and James Scarth Gale
  • 1910 – Four Gospels by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Korea. Rev. Paul Han Gi Gun and Rev. James Son Sung Jae complete the Gospels from the Vulgate Latin version.
  • 1910 – Korean Bible. William D. Reynolds with Lee Seung Doo and Kim Jeong Sam complete the Old Testament.
  • 1922 – The Acts Of The Apostles by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Korea.
  • 1925 – The Gale Bible. James Scarth Gale's private translation
  • 1923 – Fenwick New Testament. Malcolm C. Fenwick
  • 1938 – Old Korean Revised Version KBS
  • 1941 – The EpistlesㆍApocalypse by Rev. Arnulf Schleicher, O.S.B.

    Post-war

  • 1958 – Book Of Genesis by Rev. Lawrence Seon Jong Wan of Roman Catholic.
  • 1959 – Books Of ExodusㆍLeviticusㆍNumbersㆍDeuteronomyㆍJoshuaㆍJudgesㆍRuthㆍ1&2 Samuelㆍ1&2 Kings and Prophecy Of Isaias by Rev. Lawrence Seon Jong Wan of Roman Catholic.
  • 1961 – KRV Korean Revised Version. This version used to be a standard version for several decades in most Korean Protestant denominations and it was replaced by the New Korean Revised Version in mainstream Korean Protestant denominations in the mid-2000s. However, it is still in use in few conservative minor Protestant denominations. Korean Bible Society
  • 1963 – Prophecy&Lamentations Of Jeremias and Prophecy Of Baruch by Rev. Lawrence Seon Jong Wan of Roman Catholic.
  • 1968 – Book Of Psalms by Rev. John Choi Min Sun of Roman Catholic.
  • 1971 – CTNT Common Translation New Testament KBS.
  • 1977 – CTB Common Translation Bible. 1999 Common Translation with minor corrections KBS. Worked by Catholic priests and liberal Protestant scholars or pastors. This ecumenical translation had been a standard bible for the Roman Catholic Church in Korea from 1977 to 2005. This revised version in 1999 is used by the Anglican Church of Korea and the Orthodox Church of Korea.
  • 1983/1984 – CTBP Common Translation Bible Pyongyang version. Produced by the government controlled Korean Christian Association in North Korea, it is based on the CTB. The New Testament was printed in 1983 and the Old Testament in 1984. The revised edition from 1990 contains both in one volume.
  • 1985 – KLB Korean Living Bible. A Korean re-translation of the Living Bible
  • 1991 – 200th Year Anniversary Edition of the New Testament – Waegwan Abbey, revised in 1998
  • 1991 – TKV Today's Korean Version . It was replaced by the Korean Common Language Bible in 2012.
  • 1993 – NKSV New Korean Standard Bible, Its literary style is contemporary. However, due to disputes by conservative evangelicals, it failed to gain the status as the standard lectionary bible in mainstream Korean Protestant churches. rev. 2001. It was replaced by the Revised New Korean Standard Version in 2004.
  • 1997 – True Bible Korean Society of the Holy Bible
  • 1998 – NKRV New Korean Revised Version KBS. Some archaic words are revised into contemporary words, but the old-fashioned literary style of the Korean Revised Version is still retained. It is the standard Bible in use in most Korean Protestant denominations, replacing the Korean Revised Version.
  • 1998 – Revised 200th Year Anniversary Edition of the New Testament – Waegwan Abbey
  • 1999 – New World Translation Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary language.
  • 1999 – Revised Common Translation Bible with minor corrections KBS. This revised version in 1999 is used by the Anglican Church of Korea and the Orthodox Church of Korea.

    21st century

  • 2001 – Agape Easy Bible. Agape publisher
  • 2004 – RNKSV Revised New Korean Standard Version, replacing the New Korean Standard Version. Korean Bible Society
  • 2004 – DKV Duranno Korean Version = Woorimal Bible. 두란노 서원
  • 2005 – The Holy Bible – Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea This version is the standard Bible for the Roman Catholic Church in Korea since 2005, replacing the Common Translation Bible.
  • 2006 – Braille Bible – Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea
  • 2012 – Korean Common Language Bible replacing the Today's Korean Version. Bible House
  • 2014 – Revised New World Translation, Jehovah's Witnesses
  • 2017 – God's Promises: New Testament, Pyongyang Bible Institute
  • 2024 – NKT New Korean Translation. Korean Bible Society

    Authorization by major denominations

  • The Holy Bible, translated by the Catholic Bishop's conference in 2005, which became the standard Bible for the Catholic Church in Korea.
  • Protestant denominations authorize NKRV New Korean Revised Version, KRV Korean Revised Version and RNSV Revised New Korean Standard Version for their services.
  • The conservative denominations in the Christian Council of Korea commonly authorize KRV Korean Revised Version and NKRV New Korean Revised Version. NKRV is more popular for liturgical uses, but due to its old-fashioned style, other versions with the contemporary language are frequently read in the youth services.
  • Other mainstream denominations with the liberal affiliations choose RNSV as well.
  • CTB Common Translation Bible , once used in the Catholic Church and a number of Protestant churches in the 1990s, lost its popularity as the Catholic Church moves out from using it for liturgical purposes. RCTB Revised Common Translation Bible in 1999 is now authorized by the Anglican Church of Korea and Korean Orthodox Church.

    Comparison