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Korean Studies

'Korean Studies' refers to the humanities and sociological studies of Korea, including its history and culture. It began to be established as an academic discipline since the birth of the Republic of Korea in 1945, with the introduction of theoretical, specific research methods by scholars of Korean studies. Korean studies was regarded as a regional studies like Japanese studies and Chinese studies, and interest in Korean studies has increased in foreign countries along with South Korea's economic development. Korean studies scholars used to be mainly limited to Western Europe, the United States and Japan, but Thailand, a Southeast Asian country, had been putting out research results on Korea little by little. Korean studies in Thailand had been centered on the Institute of East Asian Studies at Thammasat University.

In the 2000s, an increasing number of universities in Thailand offered Korean language as a major subject. Since 2010, Korean language education has expanded to secondary schools, which led universities and schools to focus on Korean language education programs. Such a development naturally resulted in the increase of research and discussions on various contents and topics related to Korean studies. As Thais come in contact with movies, dramas, and music reflecting Korean culture and social phenomena more frequently in recent years, more Thai scholars of regional studies sought to look at South Korea from an academic perspective. This has led to frequent Korean studies seminars and research presentations by universities and scholars from both South Korea and Thailand. Since 2021, a Korean studies research presentation event of Thai students is organized by the Prince of Songkla University, which shows that Thai university students now regard Korean studies as an academic field of study. This is very encouraging for all people and education institutions that wish for the development of Korean studies education in Thailand.

The Beginnings of Korean Studies

South Korea and Thailand began to have interest in and study each other with the establishment of official diplomatic relations in 1958. Unlike in the West, there were few scholars of Korean studies in Thailand and there was little basic data on Korea. But Thais were able to get a picture of Korea, even if superficially, through songs and movies. One such case is the songs and movies titled Arirang that portrayed the Korean War, in which Thai troops participated and after which they remained in South Korea until 1971, love between men and women. Thammasat University and Ramkhamhaeng University had been engaged in research and academic exchange activities related to Korean studies. The Institute of East Asian Studies at Thammasat University, established in 1981 with support from the Japanese government, initially focused on Japanese studies, but expanded its research programs to include Chinese studies and Korean studies. Initially, the institute's research products on Korean studies were mainly related to the Korean War and the national division. As interest in the Korean politics and economy increased, the institute began to produce materials related to those areas. Although the researchers at the institute were not specialized in Korea, they tried to work on various research topics on Korea based on their experience in regional studies. Currently, the Center for Korean Studies is carrying out Korean studies programs, but it still needs to strengthen conditions for fostering professional researchers and their stable research activities.

Ramkhamhaeng University, which started as an open university in 1971, opened a Korean studies center in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1995. Professor Damrong Tandee, who had studied at the University of London in the United Kingdom and the University of Hawaii in the United States, began research on Korea at the center. Professor Damrong Tandee played a unique and leading role in Korean studies in the Thai academia, which was a barren land for Korean studies at the time. An anthropologist, Professor Damrong focused on Korean history, society and culture, and interacted with many Korean universities, contributing to the development of Korean studies in Thailand and Thai studies in Korea.

Status of Korean Studies in Thailand in the 2000s

In the 2000s, Korean dramas, movies, and internet games gained high popularity in Thailand, and Korean youth novels, comics, and lines from famous Korean dramas were translated into Thai by several publishers. Since the early 2000s, the number of universities offering Korean language as a major has increased, and the quality of Korean language education at universities has improved. In 2010, secondary schools began teaching Korean language, and about 40,000 students in 130 schools were studying Korean as of 2021.

In recent years, Thai teenagers' interest in Korean web toons stimulated their study of Korean, and the new generation's consumption of Korean culture with smartphones and tablets has emerged as a new trend.

More Thai academics interested in Korean studies are doing research on Korean studies as the number of workshops and seminars introducing Korean studies research has increased. A workshop on Korean Studies for Thai educators has been held since 2009, and since 2014, five universities in Thailand have been jointly organizing an annual seminar on Korean studies and Thai studies. Other universities and public institutions also organize Korean studies-related events on a regular or irregular basis. The number of scholars of Korean studies in Thailand is still fewer than 10 and the history of Korean studies in the country is short. Nevertheless, the expansion of Korean language education will brighten the future of Korean studies education in Thailand as senior Thai scholars and professors recently trained in Korean studies, as well as professors who majored in Korean education in Korea, agree that Korean studies education is important and Korean studies should achieve further development.

Preparing and Undertaking a Korean Studies Presentation for University Students

Prince of Songkla University organized a Korean studies research presentation event for Thai university students in December 2021. It was designed to assess the current status and future of Korean language and Korean studies education in Thailand, help Thai universities make am academic approach to Korea based on Korean language education, and systematically raise the interest of general university students in Korea. As expected, the event received a positive response from university professors and students, and it has now become an annual event.

The official title of the event is 'Korean Studies Research Presentation by Thai University Students' and it was open to not only Korean majors but also other university students. The organizers wanted to open the door to all university students, and the participating students could make oral presentations either in Korean or Thai.

The main purpose of the event was to provide an opportunity for Korean majors and other university students to present their research on Korean studies. The event was designed to encourage Thai university students to exchange their experiences and knowledge on Korean studies and establish a cooperation network for Korean studies. Therefore, the presenters were given the widest possible range of topics to choose from so that they could do research and present their research in the areas of Korean studies that they had been interested in.

The organizers also realized that during the semesters, it would be difficult for university students to set aside time to write their papers and prepare for the presentation. The participants were thus given enough time to finish their papers before the event at the end of the year although the application for the event was completed at the beginning of the year.

The event, which was supported by the Academy of Korean Studies, drew many students since its level was higher in contents than previous events for university students. The organizers were meticulous in the preparation process and the selection of paper judges. The 'Korean Studies Research Presentation by Thai University Students' came upon Thai university professors and students as a fresh event and the event helped increase their interest in Korean studies research. It is likely that there will be many similar events in the future.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the publication of Korean materials in Thai, including translations of Korean history, in addition to Korean language teaching materials. This can be compared to the fact that in the past, Thai tourists used to do simple sightseeing in Korea on package tours, but now more Thais want to enjoy cultural tourism in which they can see and feel the nature of Korea and the life of Korean people.

This indicates that Thai people's intellectual desire to know Korea is being lifted to a higher level. In the same vein, Thai university students' interest in Korean studies is increasing, and it is time for all of us to pay our attention and support so that their interest can be built into the development of Korean studies education and research in Thailand.