Increasing number of new students from non-Asian countries such as Europe, Middle East, South America and Africa at the Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute
Reconfirming the globalization of the Korean wave
[October 6, 2011]

 “National TV in Poland airs Korean TV dramas. I really enjoyed ‘Iris’ and ‘Chuno’. A few months ago, the Hallyu Concert was held in Paris and some of my friends took a flight all the way from Poland to Paris. There are growing numbers of students who want to learn Korean and about 20% of the students in the Foreign Language Department of our university are currently learning Korean.”

 Niewiadomska Marta Alicja (20, female), who newly enrolled at the Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute this semester after taking leave from University of Warsaw in Poland, where she majored in Korean for one year, testifies just how awesome Hallyu, is in Poland. She said her favorite song is TVXQ’s ‘Mirotic’ and hums to it in Korean, as she explained that her dream was to become a Korean interpreter.

 Chaib Yacine (22) who came to learn Korean in order to properly understand the movies of Kim, Ki-duk and Park, Chan-wook from France said, “K-pop and Korean TV dramas are very well planned and designed cultural contents. I think the Hallyu frenzy will continue for at least the next five years, and if the Korean emotions and culture are placed in these more, they will be even more attractive by fans around the world. I’m sure it will result in more foreigners coming to Korea to learn about Korea and to learn Korean.” He added, “The more I learn Korean, the more I think that the language is scientific and beautiful. I am going to live in Korea until I become fluent in Korean.”

 
 Foreign students learning Korean at the Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute (from left to right – Yacine, Millen, Zinmarphyo, Marta, Julia)

 The Hallyu is causing excitement throughout the world. It has now passed Japan and East Asia, and is quickly spreading to Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In addition, there is a rapidly growing number of people who are becoming interested and wanting to learn Korean.

 As evidence of this, there has been a stark increase of foreigners that have come to Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute from non-Asian countries for the past two year. On its opening year in 2004, all 58 students were from China, but in 2009, the student body surpassed 100 from five countries including China, Southeast Asia and the US, and it is appearing to become internationally diversified.

 
 The nationality diversification started in 2010. It is the same time when the globalization of Hallyu began. Last year, 110 students from 17 countries came to the Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute to learn Korean. While 80 of them were from China, 14 from 11 non-Asian countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Cameroon, Tunisia, and Peru also came to learn Korean.

 This year, while the number of Chinese students are 73 among the 104 total students, foreigners from non-Asian countries grow to 24 from 16 countries. Percentage-wise, it doubled. There were students that represented their nation for the first time such as the 67 year old British professor, as well as students from France, Poland, Spain, Guatemala and Ethiopia.

 Garcia-Prat Julia (28, female) from France has a master’s degree in international commerce and marketing. She worked at a marketing firm, but left the company and came to learn Korean. “From three months ago, I learned Korean for hours a week at a Korean class offered by the Korean Embassy in Paris, but it was not enough. I left my job for this so I have to study harder. I want to learn all I can about the Korean language and Korea, so that I can work on cultural exchange programs that link Korea and France.”

 On such trends, Professor Joo, Sang-woo (52, School of Mechanical Engineering) who is the director of the Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute, said, “We can reconfirm that Hallyu is spreading to the entire world through pop-culture such as K-pop, TV dramas, and movies.” He added with emphasis, “Since the interest on Hallyu is spreading to interest in the Korean language, Korean people, and Korean society, we should make as much preparations and efforts to make the most out of this opportunity.

 As part of this, the Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute is also offering various Korean culture experience and field trip programs in addition to the Korean class-by-level programs so that foreigners can better understand Korea.

 
 This year, 104 foreign students from 20 countries are registered to learn Korean at the Yeungnam University Korean Language Institute.