When meeting second- and third-generation Korean Americans working in major government institutions and political circles, one common self-verification process they often emphasize is their proficiency in the Korean language.
The ability to speak the mother tongue is a topic of interest not only among second-generation Korean Americans but also among those outside the Korean cultural sphere.
Last month, during a press conference attended by the Los Angeles County District Attorney, prosecutors, and police chiefs, I tested their claim of multilingual support by asking a question in Korean. One of the investigators stepped in to translate my Korean question into English for the speaker.
Despite my question being over a minute long, he succinctly condensed it into just two sentences. After the event, I had the chance to speak with the investigator separately, and he demonstrated remarkable fluency in Korean. However, he admitted that immediate interpretation in an official setting is often challenging.
![Students at the Irvine King Sejong Institute showcase their Korean calligraphy works featuring meaningful words. [Provided by Irvine King Sejong Institute]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/0303-Koreanlanguage.jpg)
It is clear that the Korean language is not an easy subject for second- and third-generation Korean Americans. Many express a mix of regret and longing, saying, “I wish I had learned more when I was younger.”
Moreover, for those born in the 1970s and 1980s, their parents placed greater emphasis on English proficiency. Rather than attending weekend Korean schools, these parents encouraged their children to integrate with American friends and break past the language barriers that had limited the first generation’s opportunities in mainstream society.
However, times have changed. Korea’s global status has risen, and its culture and language have become objects of admiration worldwide.
It is now common to see messages on social media from people saying, “I want to learn Korean” or “I want to visit Korea and make Korean friends.”
So, what can we do to instill confidence in our second- and third-generation Korean Americans, encouraging them to engage with the Korean language even if they are not fluent?
Irene Lee, a prosecutor with the LA County District Attorney’s Office, credits her deep connection with the Korean-American community to attending weekend Korean school as a child. At a press event, she shared, “Even though I conduct official business in English, my pride in being Korean exists because my parents made the effort to take me to Korean school on weekends, despite my attempts to sleep in.”
On the other hand, Billy Yoon, who manufactures and sells Korean traditional instruments like the gayageum(traditional Korean string musical instrument) and janggu(traditional Korean hour-glass-shaped drum) worldwide, expressed regret over not fully inheriting the language skills of his second-generation parents. “My parents were fluent in Korean, but I didn’t retain much of it. If I had put in more effort and dedicated more time, I could have learned more and made many more Korean friends.”
As a former educator, Yoon emphasized that language is a vessel for culture, making it essential for minority communities to preserve their linguistic heritage.
For 50 of the 120 years of Korean immigration history in the United States, the Korea Daily has served as a vital communication bridge through its Korean-language newspaper. Personally, I hope readers will continue to support weekend Korean schools, Korean language programs at churches, and institutions like the King Sejong Institute. It would be wonderful to see more Korean language education provided to the future leaders of America.
I also hope for increased financial support and donations for Korean language schools. Currently sustained largely by volunteers, these schools need upgrading. Local philanthropists and Korean-American businesses should step up to help enrich these programs, ultimately fostering greater pride in Korean heritage among the younger generations.
The Korean School Association of America acknowledges major donors with honorary titles: those contributing over $10,000 are named “Hunminjeongeum Members,” those donating over $5,000 receive the “Shin Saimdang” title, and donors exceeding $1,000 are recognized as “King Sejong” supporters. Yet, contributions remain limited.
Even if fluency is not achieved, and even if Korean is regarded as a foreign language by some, I hope a sustainable system is maintained so that our third- and fourth-generation children can learn and embrace Korean with confidence.
By Brian Choi [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
