South Korea to oversee Korean language education worldwide

Seoul, The Gulf Observer: South Korea needs a “control tower” to oversee and better manage the operation of education institutes as well as a system for Korean language learning, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho told The Korea Herald, vowing to speed up efforts to integrate state capacity currently dispersed across the related ministries.

“There are criticisms that government bodies haven’t been able to cooperate and coordinate well with each other at a time when interest in the Korean language is growing. At this point, it’s crucial to have a national system working on a pan-governmental level,” he said in an interview with the Herald on June 5.

Currently, two educational institutions overseas are run separately by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education. Korean language schools are institutes established by Korean nationals abroad under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Education Ministry oversees Korean schools located outside Korea. King Sejong Institutes, which consist of 248 state-run Korean language education centers in 85 countries as of June 2023, are under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The minister, who doubles as the deputy prime minister for social affairs, also stressed that the government is watching the progress of the growing demand in Korean language learning along with the popularity of Korean cultural content, as well the rise in Korea’s diplomatic and economic status.

“Foreigners, especially young foreigners, are intrigued by Korean culture and language thanks to Korean dramas and K-pop. The ministry is currently preparing for a change to attract more foreigners to learn the Korean language,” he said.

“Also, the Korean language is a pivotal component for bolstering educational and cultural exchanges between countries, which is why pan-governmental support is needed.”

Lee believes having a solid system to support foreign learners’ studies and catering to their needs will bring more non-native speakers to the country, as well as increase the number of international students wanting to learn the language outside Korea.

With the Education Ministry taking the helm, Lee said he will consolidate the capabilities of each government body to establish a system to spread the Korean language globally.