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.

reputation vs. fame

A common point of confusion: reputation vs. fame.

Although both can be translated as 명성 in Korean, there is a subtle difference between the two.

Fame means widespread popularity and public recognition, a close equivalent of 유명세, 명예 in Korean. Take a look at the following examples:

• If the latest allegation is true, if Lawrence Taylor had sex with a 16-year-old prostitute, then even the most feared defensive player in the history of professional football doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame (명예의 전당). ... maybe it’s best if fans stop buying player jerseys, since it’s impossible to know what fame and fortune will do to athletes (Bloomberg, May 10, 2010)
• Fame on the level that Mr. Jackson achieved is all but impossible for pop culture heroes today, and quite likely it will never be possible again (New York Times, June 27, 2009)

Reputation means a favorable and publicly recognized name for achievement, or the opinion of others towards a person, a close equivalent of 좋은 평판, 명성 in Korean. While fame is uncountable, reputation is a countable noun, usually used as "to gain/build/ruin/have a reputation." Take a look at the following examples:

• Robert Halderman, a former CBS producer, was sentenced to 6 months in jail for trying to shake down David Letterman over office affairs...Halderman admitted trying to extort $2 million from the Late Show host last fall by threatening to ruin his reputation (USA Today, May 4, 2010)
• Ms. Kagan attended Hunter College Elementary and graduated in 1977 from the selective Hunter College High School, where her brother, Irving, teaches today. ... "Even though she was a year behind me in [elementary] school she had a reputation for being incredibly smart," said Jason Brown, a childhood and college friend who is now an attorney at Ropes &Gray LLP in New York (Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2010)
• During his 40-year tenure at The Post, Mr. Rosenfeld wrote more than 10,000 op-ed columns and unsigned editorials. He frequently took on two of the most polarizing issues of the time, the Cold War and the conflict in the Middle East, but built a reputation among colleagues for his unflagging efforts to understand the world and his ability to write intelligently about any part of it.(Washington Post obituary, May 3, 2010)
  

일축하다: dismiss vs. reject

일축하다 in Korean has two different meanings, and accordingly two different equivalents in English.

When 일축하다 means 제안이나 부탁을 단번에 거절하다, you should use reject or refuse.

• 새로운 사업 아이디어를 제안하였다가 사업 파트너에게 번번이 일축을 당한 후, 둘의 관계는 멀어졌다: After his new business ideas had been repeatedly rejected by his partner, their relationship soured.
  

But when 일축하다 means 의혹이나 주장을 (고려할 가치가 없다며) 부인하거나 더 이상 거론하지 않다, you should use dismiss.

• 한국 측은 자동차 무역을 다양한 산업을 포함한 더 큰 협정의 일부로 보아야 한다며 한미 자동차 무역에 대한 미국의 우려를 일축해 왔다: Korea has dismissed U.S. concerns over the [U.S.-Korea] auto trade, which it said should be seen as part of a bigger deal encompassing a variety of industries. (Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2010)