While in Seoul, I have come to
realize that in order to understand the importance of South Korea’s influence
in Asia, one can simply look at the composition of students enrolled in the
language schools. The number of participants in Seoul National University’s
summer language program is in fact quite small, with a typical class size of
fourteen students. Despite the small size, there are key trends to note. The first
is that many of the students in the program are either gap year students, or
college graduates, who hope to work or study in South Korea. The overwhelming
majority of these students are from China, Southeast Asia, and Australia. For
some classmates, their motivation for Korean language study was a lack of
academic and professional opportunity due to immense competition, while others
are seeking a degree which they believe will be of a higher value given its
origination from Korea (also consider that the program is held at one of the
premier institutions in Asia). Thus, for the students from China and Southeast
Asia, the vast majority began studying Korean at level 1 and plan to proceed to
level 7 in order to take the government-sponsored TOPIK and KLPT proficiency exams.
Similarly, there is a large contingent
of Australian students participating in the program as well. Many are here on
language grants provided by the Australian Government, as well as a vast array
of scholarships originating from city and district offices, versus national
grants. Such opportunities also exist in the United States, but it does not
seem comparable to the sheer scale of the Australian government’s promotion of
language study (presumably to increase trade as well as influence within the
region). For example, to study in Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia Vietnam,
etc. many large grants are available.
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| Myself and classmates enjoying the best fried chicken the side-streets of Seoul has to offer! |
On the surface, it seems that
there is either a conscious or latent push from China and Australia, as well as
a distinct pull from Korea, to invest in the Korean marketplace. In fact,
during my summer at SNU, President Xi Jinping of China came to give a talk at
the university. This singular visit was, and continues to be, coveted with much
fanfare in Korea as signaling a key alliance between the two nations. As for
the Australian students, many have observed that there is a need for their
country to capitalize on both the skills and connections such programs can
provide
What I have come to realize is
that South Korea is viewed within the region as a land of opportunity. In the
United States, interest in Korea is often limited to Korean pop-culture and the
tacit peace with North Korea. This narrow focus is furthered by the lack of a
developed Korean Studies program in many US universities offering a degree in
Asian Studies. Yet in Asia, Korea’s value is seen as untapped, and interests in
the country span much farther beyond the pop-culture of the Korean Wave.
I have had an interesting time
in Korea thus far, and there are still plenty more experiences to be had during
my time here! Keep a look out for another post which will expand on my life
here. Until then, I hope you are having a good summer . . . wherever you are!
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| Nighttime shot outside of my apartment in Seoul. |
Adena Peckler
B.A. Asian Studies, International Affairs 2015
Sigur Center 2014 Korean Language Fellow
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