"Winter Sonata". "Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum"). Sound familiar? Not for Asian viewers who enjoy watching Korean TV dramas.
Korean movies, dramas, animation and pop music have grown in popularity overseas, fueling the so-called "hallyu", or the "Korean Wave". The country's advanced economy and technology are also prompting more international students to learn Korean and seek a better understanding of Korean culture and society.
Last year, the number of students enrolled at Korean-language centers and schools overseas jumped 128 percent from 1,693 in 2006 to 3,854, according to the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development.
Given the trend, the Korean government is supporting and expanding Korean-language education abroad. The National Institute of the Korean Language is among state institutions and international cooperation bodies that support Korean courses in foreign countries.
The institute has launched the Sejong Language School at Bishkek Humanities University in Kyrgyzstan. The language school, named after the 15-century Korean King who invented the Korean alphabet, offers a four-semester course in Korean, and up to 200 students can enroll each semester, which lasts three months.
Seven more universities in the Central Asian republic also offer Korean, with three of them providing degrees in Korean studies. To better meet the increasing demands of students and workers who want more practical instruction in Korean, Bishkek opened its Korean course to high school graduates and university students majoring in other subjects. The university established a Korean studies department in 1991 and now offers undergraduate and graduate courses in the major.
Most Kyrgyz students at Sejong Language School are familiar with Korean TV dramas such as "Winter Sonata". They aim to work for Korean firms after finishing their studies. Kyrgyzstan is also a popular venue to shoot Korean dramas, including "The Four Guardian Gods of the King" ("The Legend"), or "Taewangsasingi" in Korean, and "Lobbyist".
Kyrgyz workers are also fueling the higher demand for Korean, as their government sends 2,800 laborers to Korea every year under an employment permit system agreed upon by the two countries. Kyrgyz who wish to work in Korea must pass a Korean-language test conducted by the Korean government.
The National Institute of the Korean Language provides funding, textbooks and training for teachers. Bishkek manages the Sejong Language School.
The institute runs a training program for Korean-language teachers in Kyrgyzstan, and aims to increase the number of Korean schools to 100 by 2011. Last year alone, the institute opened 15 such schools in other Asian countries, including Mongolia and China.
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff writer
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