English into Korean Medical Translators/Regulatory adaptation

About the role

This role represents a focused opportunity for an English into Korean medical translator to operate as a key linguistic resource within the Welocalize ecosystem, driving the accuracy and regulatory appropriateness of content for Korean-speaking audiences. The successful hire will own the full quality chain of English source material, ensuring that medical meaning, regulatory nuance, and brand integrity are preserved through meticulous translation and adaptation processes. You will own the application of regulatory adaptation principles specific to Korean guidelines, making informed decisions that align source content with local compliance expectations without altering the underlying scientific fact. The position requires ownership of complex terminology management, where you will establish and maintain consistent term bases across multiple therapeutic areas and document types. You will also own the proofreading cycle, acting as a final gatekeeper for linguistic precision, grammatical correctness, and stylistic fluency in the target Korean language. This role involves direct collaboration with project managers and quality assurance teams to resolve ambiguities, clarify source ambiguities, and confirm context for high-stakes regulatory and patient-facing materials. The hire will be responsible for managing high-volume throughput, balancing speed with accuracy to meet demanding delivery schedules for pharmaceutical clients. Continuous improvement of workflow efficiency, including smart use of translation memory and CAT tools, is owned by the translator to ensure scalable and repeatable quality outcomes.

Key facts

What you'll do

Perform regulatory adaptation of English source content into natural, fluent Korean, ensuring that meaning, tone, and regulatory intent are accurately transferred for Korean-speaking audiences.

Conduct thorough analysis of source materials, including investigator documents, patient information, and pharmacy-related content, to identify linguistic, cultural, and regulatory considerations specific to Korean markets.

Apply appropriate medical terminology and regulatory language standards, working from established term bases and reference materials to maintain consistency across all content types and project deliverables.

Adapt content in alignment with Korean regulatory requirements, modifying labels, instructions, and patient materials to meet local compliance expectations while preserving scientific accuracy and intent.

Proofread and edit translated Korean text to eliminate errors, enhance readability, and ensure that the final output meets the highest standards of linguistic quality and regulatory acceptability.

Collaborate closely with project managers and internal quality teams to clarify source context, resolve ambiguities, and confirm that adapted content reflects the intended purpose and audience.

Manage high-volume translation workflows efficiently, processing a minimum of 5000 words per week across multiple therapeutic areas and content types without compromising accuracy or deadlines.

Utilize the XTM CAT tool proficiently to leverage translation memory, maintain consistent terminology, and streamline the translation, adaptation, and proofreading process within established workflows.

Support the creation of investigator-facing, patient-facing, and pharmacy-oriented content, ensuring that each document type is treated with the appropriate level of formality, clarity, and regulatory sensitivity.

Contribute to the continuous improvement of language quality and process efficiency, providing feedback on source content clarity and suggesting improvements that facilitate better translation outcomes.

Maintain strict confidentiality and data security protocols when handling sensitive pharmaceutical information, ensuring that all project materials are handled in accordance with Welocalize policies.

Demonstrate proactive communication with project stakeholders, escalating potential issues related to terminology, regulatory interpretation, or source text ambiguity in a timely and constructive manner.

Monitor evolving regulatory language trends in Korean medical documentation and adapt translations to reflect current usage and best practices in the target market.

Ensure that all deliverables are formatted correctly and ready for integration into the client's regulatory submission or commercial publication workflows.

Requirements

Be a native or near-native speaker of Korean with advanced proficiency in medical and regulatory terminology to ensure precise and appropriate language usage.

Possess strong English comprehension and translation abilities, enabling accurate rendering of complex medical content from English into Korean without loss of meaning or regulatory intent.

Have demonstrable experience in life sciences translation, including regulatory documents, clinical trial materials, investigator-facing content, and patient information.

Show proven expertise in regulatory adaptation specific to Korean guidelines, including familiarity with Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) expectations for labeling and documentation.

Be highly proficient in using CAT tools, with specific experience working in the XTM platform or similar translation management systems for document handling and translation memory.

Maintain strict confidentiality and data security practices when handling sensitive pharmaceutical and patient information throughout the translation and adaptation process.

Exhibit strong attention to detail, grammatical accuracy, and linguistic fluency to ensure that all translated and adapted content reads naturally in Korean across all document types.

Demonstrate the ability to manage high-volume workloads and consistently meet tight deadlines while maintaining the highest standards of translation quality and regulatory compliance.

Nice to have

Previous experience working directly with pharmaceutical or biotechnology clients on regulatory submission materials.

Knowledge of Korean regional linguistic variations and medical writing conventions across different document types and regulatory contexts.

Practical notes

This is a freelance/independent contract position with remote work based from South Korea.

Expected workload is approximately 5000 words or more per week.

Start date is ASAP, indicating a strong need for immediate availability.

The role requires consistent weekday availability to coordinate with global teams and meet project deadlines.

Travel is not required, but adherence to local regulatory practices in South Korea is essential for successful regulatory adaptation.

Candidates must be able to provide samples of previous medical translation work and demonstrate familiarity with XTM or comparable CAT tools during the assessment process.

This engagement is subject to ongoing project needs and performance in quality and timeliness assessments.