Korean Text Message Translation
Korean text message translation of KakaoTalk conversations, SMS threads and LINE chats into certified English for a K-1 or spouse petition, a custody or divorce case, a protective order or a workplace dispute. Each message keeps its sender, date and time, and we translate what was written, including the ㅋㅋ and the insults.
- Up to 250 words per page
- $25 per page
- Standard turnaround
- From 24 hours
- Certificate of accuracy
- Signed & stamped
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Written for Korean text messages for court records
KakaoTalk exports, screenshots and the register of Korean texting
Almost every Korean message file we see is KakaoTalk, and how it was captured decides what the translation can show.
The 대화 내보내기 text file versus screenshots
KakaoTalk's export writes a plain text file with a line per message, the sender's saved name, the date in Korean and the time as 오전 or 오후, and the Android and iPhone layouts differ. Photos, emoticons and voice notes become placeholders such as 사진 or 이모티콘, and messages deleted for everyone show as 삭제된 메시지입니다. Screenshots keep the pictures, the 1 unread marker and the profile names but lose the full date. We translate each line in order, convert the date and time to US form, keep the Korean sender name in brackets and label each placeholder as what it was.
ㅋㅋㅋ, ㅠㅠ and the shift from 존댓말 to 반말
Korean texting has its own marks: ㅋㅋ is laughter, ㅠㅠ is crying, ㅇㅇ is yes, ㄱㄱ is let's go, ㅈㅅ is sorry. They are translated as what they mean, not left as letters. Terms of address such as 오빠, 자기 and 여보 are kept with a note, because the moment a couple moves from polite 존댓말 to intimate 반말 is visible in the thread and an officer reading K-1 evidence can use it. A threat is translated at the register it was written. Softening 죽여버린다 to a vague warning weakens a protective order file.
KakaoPay, gifts and group chats
A 카카오페이 송금 or a 선물하기 gift appears in the chat as a system message with the amount or the item, and those lines are financial evidence in a support or a relationship case. A 단톡방, the group chat, is how a Korean employer gives instructions after hours, and in a wage or harassment claim the thread shows who wrote what at what time. We translate every participant's messages, keep the room name and mark where the export shows someone joining or leaving.
Who is asking for your Korean text messages for court translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
USCIS
Messages filed as proof of a relationship or of a threat need a complete English translation and a signed certification from the translator. No notarization is needed.
Courts
Family, criminal and civil courts admit translated messages with a signed certification, and some judges want it notarized. Each message is translated in full with its date and sender.
Insurers
An insurer handling a claim may ask for messages that show when an accident was reported or what was agreed. A certified translation they can read next to the screenshots is enough.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a Korean text messages for court.
Export the thread, do not retype it
Screenshots or a phone export keep the sender, the date and the time on each message. Those details are what a court or USCIS checks, so keep them in the file.
Keep the conversation complete and in order
Send the whole thread from the first message to the last, including the ones that do not help your case. A thread with gaps is easier to challenge.
Tell us who each contact is
Phone screens show nicknames and numbers. Give us the full name behind each contact so the translation can identify the speakers.
Details and pricing
What is included in a Korean text messages for court translation
One price per page covers the translation and its certification. A page is up to 250 words, and the quote tells you the page count before you pay.
Everything on the text messages for court is translated, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes. Tell us the English spelling you use for each name when you order.
Certified Translation
Word-for-word translation with a certificate of accuracy for official use.
$25
USD / page
up to 250 words per page
Included
- Signed & stamped certification of translation accuracy
- Certified by a professional translator
- Digital delivery via PDF
- Review and approve final translation
- 100% Guaranteed Acceptance
- Standard turnaround starting at 24 hours
Optional services
- Expedited turnaround
- Priority handling when your deadline is shorter than the standard turnaround.
- By deadline
- Notarization
- A notary public signs and stamps the certification statement.
- $20 per order
- Physical copy
- A wet-ink original of your translation, mailed by express courier.
- $35 per order
- Apostille
- Authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use in Hague Convention countries.
- $180 per document
What the certificate of accuracy states
Your translation arrives with a Certification of Translation Accuracy issued by ImmiTranslate. It is the page the receiving organization checks first.
- The translation is complete and accurate.
- The document title and the language pair.
- The translator is competent in both languages.
- A signature and the ImmiTranslate certification stamp.
- Our American Translators Association corporate membership.
Our translation process
Our goal is to make the translation process as simple as possible for you. Our service is streamlined specifically for documents of this nature.
Korean Text Messages For Court FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- How is a message thread priced?
- By words, like any other document: a page is up to 250 words and costs $25. An exported text file is counted directly. For screenshots we count the Korean text visible on each image, and short messages with many time stamps use fewer words than they look. Upload the files and the price is shown before you pay, with no estimate to argue over later.
- Can I submit only part of a conversation to USCIS?
- Choose which days or screenshots you submit, and we translate everything on them. USCIS wants a complete translation of each foreign-language page you file, so a page with some messages translated and others left in Korean invites a request for evidence. For a long relationship, applicants usually pick exchanges spread across the years, and each selection is translated in full with a line noting the date range.
- Will the translation show who sent each message and when?
- Yes. Each message appears with the sender's name as saved in the phone, the Korean name in brackets, the date and the time, in the order of the original. Placeholders for photos, voice messages and deleted messages are kept and labelled. The certification signed with the translation states that it is a complete rendering of the file you sent, which is what a court clerk or an officer checks first.
- How much does a certified translation cost?
- Certified translation is $25 per page, with a page counted as up to 250 words. Notarization, a mailed physical copy and an apostille are optional and priced separately.
- How long does a certified translation take?
- Standard turnaround starts at 24 hours and depends on the length and language of your documents. If you have a deadline, include it in your quote request.
Other Korean documents we translate
Text messages for court translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's text messages for court records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements, Certified translations before you order.