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   Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한🦣 (youronlyone@c.im)'s status on Monday, 26-May-2025 05:42:46 JST Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한🦣

   in reply to

   Update.

   It turns out that on 2024-11-19 the Seoul Metropolitan Government said that the official English name of 한강 (Rom. Hangang; trans. Han River) is "Hangang River" or "Hanriver River".

   However, it's only a Seoul Metropolitan Government mandate, not a National mandate, so much so that other regions where Hanriver River crosses are still using "Han River" which is the proper English translation.

   - https://m.koreaherald.com/article/10011186

   > The Korea JoongAng Daily editorial board has decided to maintain the use of the Han River terminology according to our style guide.

   - https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-11-19/national/socialAffairs/Its-Hangang-River-not-Han-River-says-Seoul-govt/2181202

   > In July 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism established guidelines for writing the names of natural landmarks in English. The rule specifies that Korean terms should first be Romanized, followed by an English descriptor of the geographic feature.

   Keywords here are: names and descriptor.

   1. What is the name of the 508-km river in Korea? 한 (Han)
   2. What is the descriptor of said river? 강 (gang; trans. river)

   In other words, following their own rules, 한강 in English is "Han River". The name is "Han" and the descriptor is "River".

   Even the Koreans are divided over this "Hanriver River" mandate of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

   While yes, tautological hydronyms are not new and is actually common than we imagine, "Hangang River" won't count as tautological until it becomes an official National mandate and seen in official Korean English maps.

   For example, "Laguna Bay" in the Philippines originated from "Laguna de Bay" which is correctly translated in English as "Lagoon of Bay". It is a valid tautological hydronym because official English maps of the Philippines is using "Laguna Bay" (originally "Laguna de Bay").

   "Laguna Bay" is actually confusing because people read "Bay" as in "bey", a body of water, and "Laguna" as the Province of Laguna. When in reality "Bay" is read as "bai" (as in Baybayin) and "Laguna" is "Lagoon". It's actually "Lagoon of Bai" because the Spaniards literally named the lagoon after the Town of Bay (bai); and yes its a lagoon, not a bay. 😝

   Going back, "Hangang River" only becomes an official tautological hydronym once it becomes a National mandate and actually used in official English maps approved by the National government of Korea; just like anywhere else in this "modern" era.