Translation service just a quick cell phone call away
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Traveling in Korea has become more convenient for foreigners as a telephone service offering translation between Korean and 17 different languages has begun.
The service is available through a quick call from a cell phone. And what is even better, it is free.
Korea's biggest mobile operator, SK Telecom, has launched the free-of-charge service in collaboration with the Korea BBB (Before Babel Brigade) Association.
Available languages include English, Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Polish and Thai to name a few.
Those who want to use the service need to get a free coupon from the Korea BBB Association's website www.BBBKorea.org or from a tourist information center across Korea.
The coupon will enable them to borrow a translation-enabled handset from SK Telecom roaming centers at the nation's international airports without having to pay an extra charge for the translation service.
The service is available by calling 1588-5644. But people still need to pay to 1,500 won (about $1.50) to rent the handsets, which is still half that for ordinary phones.
About 3,000 volunteers are working to provide the translation service.
The Korea BBB Organization started its services in April 2002 in the run-up to the World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan later in the year.
Even after the World Cup was wrapped up, the BBB organization kept providing translation services while playing a major role in a flurry of international events such as the 2002 Asian Games in Busan and the 2003 Universiade in Daegu.The source of news : Korea.net April 11, 2007
