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K-pop has swept the world with stars like BTS and BLACKPINK proving to be hugely popular.
Then, came K-content on the big and small screens such as Parasite and Squid Game.
Korean cultural content is being cited as one of the major motivating factors for people wanting to learn the Korean language.
Our Kim Jung-sil met some of those people and files this report.
Students in this class have come from all over the world to study the Korean language.
These students are from six different countries and all have come with different purposes in mind.
But one language instructor at the institute, says most students are here because of K-pop and K-dramas.
"Before, many students came to learn Korean to get into college or to help find a job in Korea or because they have Korean family. But recently, most of the students come because they are interested in K-culture such as K-pop, dramas, or movies"
A recent CNN report quoted a Korean language expert from Columbia University as saying that Korean has become "modern", "cooler, and hipper."
Students in South Korea seem to agree.
"Especially recently , with Netflix and other international things, there's a lot more interest growing. I know a lot of my friends that sort of talk about that kind of thing so yeah it's sort of grown from there."
The Korean Language Center of Korea University currently has more than a thousand international students registered.
Seoul National University, on the other hand, has been offering a special program for Japanese students since 1992.
The program resumed last winter after a pause during the pandemic.
"The students here just arrived last week from Japan's prestigious Keio University. They've come here to learn the Korean language and culture but also to better understand Korea as a nation."
"I am studying Japanese politics and I found many similarities between Japan and South Korea in their culture and politics so I decided to join the program to learn Korean."
"I have a lot of interest in Korean culture, especially in entertainment so I was hoping to learn more Korean so that I can understand that from a different viewpoint."
"Since South Korea's entertainment business is at a global level, the majority of the students have the motivation to learn Korean.
What I always tell them is that South Korea and China are geologically our close neighbors, so we should get along with those countries. And in order to get along with Korean people that it's vital to learn the language."
All the students we met said they want to make the most out of their experience in South Korea.
Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.
Reporter김정실jungsil@arirang.com
김정실 기자, "More and more foreign students learning Korean for K-pop, K-drama, and movies" Arirang TV, 2023.02.21, https://arirang.com/news/view?id=249450