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In the World
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- Jeong Sun-hun
(Chairman of the Korean Language Globalization Foundation and President of Paichai University)
- People the world over are showing more and more interest in the Korean language, apparently as a result of the country’s rapid economic progress and ‘hallyu’ (the current vogue for Korean pop culture) phenomenon. Nowadays, it is not so difficult to come across a foreigner speaking Korean in many countries. Korean really is becoming globalized.
- In the past, when the people of the country were eking out a subsistence living, Hangeul or its excellence could not aspire to be the focus of attention. Few foreigners would have been interested in learning the language of a poor, remote country.
- Now, things have changes dramatically. As many as 7 million Koreans live in 175 countries. Korea has emerged as an economic power to be reckoned with and Koreans have come to have a sense of pride in their homeland. Amid such a process, many people from all over the world, including linguists, have become interested in the country’s language. They speak very highly of the excellence of Hangeul.
- Hangeul was said to be excellent by the Linguistics Department of Oxford University, the U.K. in its appraisal of alphabets used all over the world, particularly with regard to such aspects as rationality of usage, scientific quality, and originality. At an academic research meeting in which no Korean scholars took part, some attendees proposed that Hangeul be adopted as a universal alphabet.
Under such circumstances, it is regrettable that Koreans do not sufficiently recognize the excellence of their alphabet. Nor have they made sufficient effort to promote the language all over the world.
- Recently, several universities and institutions, including the Korean Language Globalization Foundation, began making such efforts. They are engaged in the work of developing materials, including manuals, for teaching Korean and providing support for Korean-language learners and teachers both at home and abroad. Currently, numerous foreign nationals are taking such tests as the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) or the Employment Permit System - Korean Language Test (EPS-KLT). There was a report that in China a flood of people had been observed to move to places where a Korean proficiency test could be taken.
- Each of the seven million Korean individuals living in foreign counties is a potential disseminator of the Korean language. And furthermore, there are many foreigners eager to learn it. Thus, the conditions for the promotion of the language are ripe.
- It is estimated that in Japan Korean is taught at more than 170 high schools and that upwards of 200 universities are running a Korean teaching program. A similar interest in Korean has been observed in other Asian countries.
More efforts should be made to extend the scope of its influence beyond Asia to the Americas, Europe and Africa. The distribution of the country’s language is closely linked with the extension of the country’s sphere of economic influence. It may also go a long way towards instilling a stronger sense of pride in the homeland on the part of Koreans both at home and abroad, as well as enhancing the status of the country in the world community. The work of distributing the country’s language worldwide is a worthy cause that should be strongly supported at the national level.
- Curriculum vitae [ Chung Sun-hun ]
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- Chairman, the Korean Language Globalization Foundation; President of Paichai University
- Obtained Ph.D. in law from Yonsei University.
- Served as the first Chairman for the Asian University Presidents Forum.
