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KOrion is currently the fastest growing foreign language in India – a popular language-learning app called Duolingo concluded After surveying over 1,000 Indians. Seeing it wave The growing interest in the language is not unexpected, given the popularity of Korean dramas and K-pop music in the country, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
I started learning Korean in 2017, consuming Korean popular culture for over a decade. What inspired me was a failed attempt to learn it on my own and later from a Korean neighbor. So, I enrolled at the King Sejong Institute—the language center run by the South Korean government—in New Delhi. Although I had been watching K-dramas and movies since 2008, it was the vibrant influence of K-pop that ultimately inspired me to learn the language.
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You go for pop culture, but stay for the language
On my first day, our teacher said, “An intelligent person can learn Korean in a day and a dumb person within a week.” The Korean alphabet system is really easy to learn – the initial learning curve is pretty steep. This is because Korean is a language that was meant for common people. Any learner of the Korean language will be familiar with its history—King Sejong the Great directed the creation of a writing system that was easy to learn. Until 1443, Chinese was the primary medium of writing in Korea and was known only to the affluent.
Lessons with Korean homophones gradually become difficult, and grammar tests each learner’s resolve. But, beyond the excitement of understanding what your favorite K-pop celebrity said, language becomes a gateway to understanding an entirely new culture. Somewhere along the way, the pop culture aspect encouraged me to learn Korean. Now, it’s the beauty of uncovering meanings, decoding the cultural context of a new vocabulary, and deriving Korean sentences that piqued my interest. Language—as a medium of expression—is one of the most intrinsic aspects of any culture. As the Korean wave deepens its grip on India, a growing tendency to learn the language is a natural consequence.
Who are the learners?
As I got back into active study after leaving college, I realized that regular classes had turned into smart classes, and people came from all walks of life. Some came to learn Korean for work and business, but most of the learners were attracted to the country’s popular culture. It was not easy to interact with them, as they all shared the same passion.
During the intervals between classes, teachers sometimes played classic K-pop hits such as taiyang‘Eyes, Nose, Lips,’ or their favorite Korean ballad. Once, a teacher explained the etymology of two K-pop groups—at 2 pm and 2 pm. Students discuss the latest updates from K-Pop groups and serious news such as K-Drama. The classes were fun but rigorous. At times, especially during examinations, traces of the unshakable Korean education system surfaced. Nonetheless, for Korean enthusiasts the classroom was a utopia where reality could be forgotten for a while.
Whether it is schoolchildren or people in their 50s, freshmen will mention the desire to enjoy Korean content without subtitles as the main motivating factor during orientation sessions. In podcast, an alumnus-teacher at the institute mentioned that breaking the barrier of subtitles is the driving force among his students. She also noted that many people adopt the language with the goal of studying in South Korea. Furthermore, the language has managed to capture the interest of polyglots in India, he observed. With Korean, Japanese and Chinese sharing linguistic similarities, crossover of interests is quite common among enthusiasts of these languages. I remember having classmates who were simultaneously learning Japanese and Korean because of their interest in manga and K-pop.
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Surge in popularity of East Asian languages
King Sejong Institute Revealed In India in January 2013, beginning with 50 students in New Delhi. Over the years, the number of applicants increased exponentially – today the center conducts entrance exams and has expanded to Patna and Imphal. As classes went online due to the pandemic and the Korean Cultural Center India started free online classes, 600 seats Filled out as soon as the registration opens. People rushed to grab seats as if they were buying cheap K-pop concert tickets.
Simultaneously, there was a boom in private platforms offering online classes. There are countless platforms for teaching my Instagram ads Korean. The physical barrier to language learning has disappeared.
Ensuring easy access seems to be the mantra of South Koreans. The digital revolution brought in a Korean wave that made its pop-culture content visible around the world, and now, it’s playing with the growing popularity for its language.
This growing interest in the Korean language is a trend that is not unique to India. According to a Duolingo report, Korean is the fastest growing foreign language in Brazil, France, Germany and Mexico, among other countries. UK is evidence Interest in the eastern country’s popular culture grows as Japanese learners increase. and if my k-pop twitter Fodder does anyone Signal In an emerging trend, the next big thing is likely to be Chinese drama.
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho made this statement in his speech after South Korean director Bong Joon-ho won the Best Picture award at the Oscars, “Once you cross the one-inch-long barrier of subtitles, You will be introduced to many more wonderful films.” 2020.
Bong’s statement in Los Angeles in the past seems to resonate among the Indian audience. K-drama and K-pop lovers are not limited to enjoying content with subtitles. They have gone a step further and are trying to bridge the gap by learning the language.
Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Likes)
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