The prestige of the Korean language is on the rise in the United States. On October 6, the Los Angeles City Council held a ceremony proclaiming the adoption of Hangul Day. Following this proclamation, the city will annually celebrate Hangul Day on October 9.
Before this, the California State Legislature had already established Hangul Day as a state anniversary in 2019. This marked the first time a minority language has been officially recognized at the state level in the United States. The proclamation, unanimously passed in the state Senate, underscores the growing prominence and recognition of Hangul in the United States.
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of students learning Korean in the United States. Many public schools have introduced Korean language classes. Currently, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) offers Korean bilingual classes in 11 schools, engaging more than 1,400 students in learning the Korean language. Including both middle and high schools, there are a total of 80 schools offering 332 Korean language classes. This represents a 150% increase from a decade ago. Furthermore, learning the Korean language has also grown in popularity at universities and among adults.
According to a report by the Modern Language Association, 13,936 students were studying Korean at U.S. colleges and universities in 2016. Although Korean ranks 10th in terms of enrollment numbers, it has seen a significant 13.7% increase in students since 2013, a growth rate that outpaces most other foreign languages. Notably, the number of Korean language learners has surged, contrasting sharply with the declining enrollment in other languages within the top ten. Over the past decade, there has been a remarkable 95% increase in Korean language learners, underscoring the burgeoning interest in the language.
Columbia University’s Korean language program has also experienced notable growth, reporting over a 50% increase in student enrollment between 2017 and 2021. Furthermore, CNN has predicted that the ‘K-language’ trend will be the next cultural wave, following the global popularity of K-pop and K-dramas.
Leading linguists across the globe acknowledge the excellence of Hangul. British linguist and philologist Professor Jeffrey Sampson extols Hangul as the most sophisticated writing system ever devised, lauding it as a monumental intellectual achievement.
Hangul’s distinctive historical documentation, coupled with its enduring contemporary usage, underscore its remarkable significance. Its esteemed recognition by UNESCO through the awarding of the King Sejong Literacy Prize further amplifies global appreciation and reverence for Hangul.
While Korean is categorized as a challenging language for native English speakers, the trend of learning it is noticeably growing in the United States. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) classifies languages based on their learning difficulty for native English speakers, placing Korean alongside languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic in the highest category, signifying a longer required learning period due to its unique structure, varying verb forms, and reliance on Chinese characters.
Despite its inherent challenges, the escalating interest in the Korean language underscores its expanding global influence. Once primarily spoken in a relatively small Asian country, Korean is now resonating globally, making it commonplace to encounter Korean greetings internationally.
Korean language education has evolved from being merely a tool to preserve cultural identity within the Korean diaspora, transitioning into a practical skill instrumental for engaging in global economic and cultural activities. For the Korean language to continue flourishing on a global scale, sustained support and promotion from the Korean Government in bolstering Korean language education remain imperative.
BY WANSHIN KIM, JUNHAN PARK [kim.wanshin@koreadaily.com]
