CThis issue is not a right/wrong issue but a matter of preference and custom.
" Curse words are potent, and calling someone a “jerk” just doesn’t pack the same punch as “dumbass” or “asshole”. https://writingcooperative.com/should-you-use-curse-words-in-your-writing-2b38408dbc13
Subbers who sub “bastard, and son of a bitch” for 개세끼 and 개자식 in the proper context are not lacking in knowledge of the meaning of the words or inaccurately translating. If one considers the Korean government’s National Institute of the Korean Language dictionary, Naver’s Korean-English Dictionary and Daum’s Korean-English dictionary as authoritative sources, then in the proper context the subbers use of “bastard” or “son of a bitch” are “literal” and accurate translations.
If you use the Korean government’s Korean-English dictionary from the National Institute of the Korean Language and look up 개 (dog) the definitions are 1. dog 2. son of a bitch (and it’s meant offensively!)
https://krdict.korean.go.kr/eng/dic
Naver Dictionary which is one of the most used Korean to English dictionaries defines sekki (새끼)
- bastard, creep, son of a bitch; 2. young. 3. baby, child, kid
gae sekki (개새끼) is defined as son of a bitch and the dictionary sites numerous references where it has been translated that way.
gae jasik (개자식) is defined by Naver as son of a bitch, bastard, dog. and again there are references to usage. The Naver Dictionary is supposed to incorporate the Oxford Korean to English and English to Korean dictionaries as well as several other widely used dictionaries of Korean.
Similarly Daum Dictionary defines gae sekki as a pup or a son of a bitch and gae jasik (개자식) as son of a bitch or bastard. For many years up to about ten years ago, when you saw English subbed drama or movies and people were having hostile confrontations 개세끼 and 개자식 were often translated as “rascal” or “brat” or “you little …” which seemed to me not matching the level of offensiveness and hostility the writer/director intended. A grandmother is talking to her grandchild and says “our sekki” she probably means our baby, child, or kid but when a thug is beating up someone, he is definitely not using gae sekki as a term of endearment.
I’ve had taxi drivers who were of Korean ethnicity taking me during rush hour from Manhattan to JFK and from Chicago to O’Hare airport and had the real life experience of the actual use of both terms and even more for the entire ride – I am sure 기사님 ( Mr. Driver) did not mean “you little,” “punk”, “puppy” or anything mild.
When someone says either term before punching out someone’s lights, he is not saying you rascal, punk or puppy.
I am against bowdlerizing subtitles so that they become Disneyspeak.