인정하다: admit vs. recognize

Both to admit and to recognize can be translated as 인정하다 in Korean, but they don't mean the same thing.

To admit means to confess one's guilt, 잘못을 (마지못해) 시인하다 in Korean.

• Fast-food chain KFC has admitted breaching hygiene rules at one of its busiest branches in Britain (BBC, April 8, 1010): 패스트푸드 체인 KFC는 영국에서 가장 분주한 KFC 매장 중 한 곳이 위생 규범을 어겼음을 시인하였다.

To recognize means to realize/perceive/understand, 존재나 사실을 인식하다 in Korean.

• In adopting its resolution on the observance of Women's Day, the General Assembly cited two reasons: to recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women... (http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/): 유엔 총회는 여성의 날을 기념하여 결의안을 채택하면서, 결의안 채택의 두 가지 동기를 언급하였다. 첫 째는 평화와 사회적 진보를 보장하고 인권과 근본적인 자유를 완전히 누리기 위해서는 여성들의 적극적인 참여와 평등, 발전이 필요하다는 사실을 인식하기 위함이다.

So if you say "KFC recognized its mistakes," it means KFC discovered mistakes that it was not aware of before. But if you say "KFC admitted its mistakes," it suggests that KFC was already aware of its problems, but did not acknowledge it publicly.