Yu-Na Kim or Kim Yu-Na? | Golden Skate

Yu-Na Kim or Kim Yu-Na?

Johar

Medalist
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
I've been reading and hearing both versions, so is one correct or are both acceptable?
 

wonbinfan86

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
I think this question has been answered a billion times already :p but let me put this issue to rest, in Korean as with other east Asian languages i.e. Chinese, Japanese it is convention to say the family name first followed by the "first" name, hence Kim Yu-na. The media of course is generally ignorant of these sort of things and will just say the name they see on paper.. so if they see a form that says "First Name: Yuna; Last Name: Kim" more likely than not they will just say "Yu-na Kim" So I guess if you want to be culturally sensitive you would say "Kim Yu-na".
 

silverlining

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
I think this question has been answered a billion times already :p but let me put this issue to rest, in Korean as with other east Asian languages i.e. Chinese, Japanese it is convention to say the family name first followed by the "first" name, hence Kim Yu-na. The media of course is generally ignorant of these sort of things and will just say the name they see on paper.. so if they see a form that says "First Name: Yuna; Last Name: Kim" more likely than not they will just say "Yu-na Kim" So I guess if you want to be culturally sensitive you would say "Kim Yu-na".

A sidenote regarding her name.

Her Korean name can be better represented in English as Kim Yeon Ah and pronounced as Kim Yeona.
So why has Yeon Ah or Yeona become Yuna or Yu-na?

I read it somewhere that when she got her first passport (the details of my memory might be incorrect here, someone can correct me if I'm not 100% accurate with the specifics), she signed her name in English as Yuna Kim, because "yu" is sometimes pronounced to sound similar to "yeo". For example, as in "yup", "yuppy" and "yuk".

It's a similar situation to Korean automaker Hyundai. In Korea, it is pronounced as Hyeondae. Again, you see how Koreans spelt "yu" to sound similar to "yeo".

But of course, almost all of westerners, when they see the spelling Yu-na or Yuna, they pronounce it as "u~ na", so her unofficial English name is pronounced that way.
 

gourry

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
I noticed since last SA they started calling her 'KIM Yuna' instead of 'Yuna Kim'.
I honestly didn't know why, but I guessed they were trying to respect asian culture.
Then I wondered, then why not ANDO Miki, NAKANO Yukari, YAN Liu or SHU Binshu who also attended same event?
So, I still have no idea.:)

Oh, by the way, there is one European country where they use family name first and given name last just like in east asian countries. Is it Hungary? Or is it Rumania? ....Or is it somewhere else? Suddenly confused...
I wonder how they write their names when they compete internationally.
 
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silverlining

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
It seems to me YuNa doesn't care, either way.


Kind of reminds me of Joe Biden saying, "You can call me whatever the heck you want."

(On Jay Leno, IIRC, in an indirect response to Sarah Palin's "May I call you Joe?" request.)
 

ks777

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
How about Julia Sebestyen? Why aren't people calling her Sebestyen Julia?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
How about Julia Sebestyen? Why aren't people calling her Sebestyen Julia?

... because she's not East Asian decent??? :scratch:

but she goes by YuNa, right? Isn't that how Brian Orser says when speaking of her?

Scott Hamilton calls her Kim Yuna... so not all of those Media people are ignorant ;) :rofl:
 

hikki

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 18, 2007
Country
Japan
It seems to me YuNa doesn't care, either way.

And quite often the non-English speaking people take pride in the 'internationalisation' of their identity anyway.

For instance, I remember Brian Joubert saying how he quite likes being called "Ju ber" as opposed to "Yu ber." And Japanese fans more often than not refer to their stars like "She's Midori Ito (as opposed to Ito Midori) of the world, not just of Japan", etc.

That said, I do think it's an etiquette as a global member of the world :biggrin: to at least care to attempt to learn the right way. Like most of the US hosts used to call "Fumi-y (dropping the last syllable "e")", "Yoshi-y (same as Fumie)", with no sign of ever bothering to check.

Kind of reminds me of Joe Biden saying, "You can call me whatever the heck you want."

(On Jay Leno, IIRC, in an indirect response to Sarah Palin's "May I call you Joe?" request.)

:rofl:
 
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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
... because she's not East Asian decent??? :scratch:

Hungary is the only European country that puts the family name first. However, when Hungarians travel they switch it around to conform to the usage of the country they are in.

I believe that Japanese also are apt to "Westernize" their names when they travel abroad or do business internationally. Moreso than Chiunese, Koreans and Vietnamese, for instance. So Mao Asada, Miki Ando, etc., are used to being called like that outside of Japan.

Tonichelle said:
Scott Hamilton calls her Kim Yuna... so not all of those Media people are ignorant ;) :rofl:

Yeah, I think NBC made a conscious corporate decision starting with Worlds last year to show cultural sensitivity inthat way. Maybe Kwan Ying Shan made them do it. ;)
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Like most of the US hosts used to call "Fumi-y (dropping the last syllable "e")", "Yoshi-y (same as Fumie)", with no sign of ever bothering to check.

Here is how to remember, in song.

Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-de-ay,
Suguri FOO-mee-ay! ♫♪

The funny thing is, now that U.S. broadcasters are saying "Kim Yu-na," most American television viewers will think that Kim is her personal name, like Kimmie Meissner. :eek:hwell:
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Here is how to remember, in song.

Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-de-ay,
Suguri FOO-mee-ay! ♫♪

The funny thing is, now that U.S. broadcasters are saying "Kim Yu-na," most American television viewers will think that Kim is her personal name, like Kimmie Meissner. :eek:hwell:

hmmm......how about "Kimmie Yuna" :p
 

RUKen

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
I noticed since last SA they started calling her 'KIM Yuna' instead of 'Yuna Kim'. I honestly didn't know why, but I guessed they were trying to respect asian culture.

ABC/ESPN goes by the 'Western' convention of surname last (e.g. Yuna Kim), and did all of the skating competition telecasts for many years up through the 2007-2008 season.

NBC/Universal goes by the Asian convention of surname first (Kim Yuna). NBC began televising Skate America last year.

[Paul Wylie, who is now commentating for Universal Sports but formerly commentated for ESPN, mistakenly referred to 'Lu Chen' during the Grand Prix telecast over the weekend. He should have called her 'Chen Lu' to remain consistent.]
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
ABC/ESPN goes by the 'Western' convention of surname last (e.g. Yuna Kim), and did all of the skating competition telecasts for many years up through the 2007-2008 season.

NBC/Universal goes by the Asian convention of surname first (Kim Yuna). NBC began televising Skate America last year.

[Paul Wylie, who is now commentating for Universal Sports but formerly commentated for ESPN, mistakenly referred to 'Lu Chen' during the Grand Prix telecast over the weekend. He should have called her 'Chen Lu' to remain consistent.]

Some of the criticism of American announcers may be justified and lot's of it is funny at times.
Are we getting a tad too critical about whether she was called "Chen-Lu" or "Lu-Chen?"
She is one of my all-time favorites and I liked it best when they called her "Lulu". Or maybe I should say "Lu-Lu." Or "Lu-lu" :biggrin:
 

Phoenix347

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Here is how to remember, in song.

Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-de-ay,
Suguri FOO-mee-ay! ♫♪

The funny thing is, now that U.S. broadcasters are saying "Kim Yu-na," most American television viewers will think that Kim is her personal name, like Kimmie Meissner. :eek:hwell:

Some people are already confused. I remember seeing a backstage video during the preparation for Festa on Ice back in April when Patrick Chan asked Yuna, "So your first name is Kim?" Yuna had to explain to Patrick that Kim is her last name. By the way, Johnny Weir is adorable in the video:

(By the way, Adam Rippon (who's also coached by Orser) asks Yuna how to say "I love you" in Korean. Maybe he would like to say that to her one day. I think he might have a crush on her.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrXLnfYiPs&feature=related

Not sure why American announcers suddenly decided to say last name first. During the 2009 world championship, I recall hearing the NBC announcer saying Kim Yuna and immediately afterward the rink announcer saying Yuna Kim. Maybe they ought to just say Yuna Kim just to be consistent with everybody else in the western world (er, except for Hungary, it seems.)
 
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herios

Medalist
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
Some people are already confused. I remember seeing a backstage video during the preparation for Festa on Ice back in April when Patrick Chan asked Yuna, "So your first name is Kim?" Yuna had to explain to Patrick that Kim is her last name. By the way, Johnny Weir is adorable in the video:

(By the way, Adam Rippon (who's also coached by Orser) asks Yuna how to say "I love you" in Korean. Maybe he would like to say that to her one day. I think he might have a crush on her.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrXLnfYiPs&feature=related

Not sure why American announcers suddenly decided to say last name first. During the 2009 world championship, I recall hearing the NBC announcer saying Kim Yuna and immediately afterward the rink announcer saying Yuna Kim. Maybe they ought to just say Yuna Kim just to be consistent with everybody else in the western world (er, except for Hungary, it seems.)

poor girl, she didn't have enough to do, now she needs to teach the whole skating community korean:)

We had an interview with her as well on CBC last year, when they asked her which should be correct and she said she uses Yu Na Kim in the western world and she goes by Kim Yu Na when at home. And yes, as hungarian is my first language I could confirm that in Hungary last name comes first, for ex. Hofman Nora or Sebestyen Julia
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Paul Wylie, who is now commentating for Universal Sports but formerly commentated for ESPN, mistakenly referred to 'Lu Chen' during the Grand Prix telecast over the weekend. He should have called her 'Chen Lu' to remain consistent.]

Of course, Paul Wylie has known Chen xiao jie personally for years, so they are on a first-name basis. Or do I mean a last-name basis? :scratch:

By the way, Adam Rippon (who's also coached by Orser) asks Yuna how to say "I love you" in Korean. Maybe he would like to say that to her one day. I think he might have a crush on her.

I think so, too! :love: In his interview with David Pelletier on NBC, Adam was asked what it was like to train on the same ice with Yu-na. Adam fell all over himself saying how wonderful she is. :)

Phoenix said:
Some people are already confused. I remember seeing a backstage video during the preparation for Festa on Ice back in April when Patrick Chan asked Yuna, "So your first name is Kim?" Yuna had to explain to Patrick that Kim is her last name.

Patrick CHAN asked this? That strikes me as funny, for some reason. North America is truly a melting pot. :yes:
 
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