{"id":22036,"date":"2023-02-08T11:34:14","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T17:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?p=22036"},"modified":"2023-12-04T13:51:34","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T19:51:34","slug":"uwm-adds-minor-in-korean-studies-to-prep-students-for-international-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2023\/uwm-adds-minor-in-korean-studies-to-prep-students-for-international-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"51ÁÔÆæ adds minor in Korean studies to prep students for international careers"},"content":{"rendered":"

51ÁÔÆæ has added a new minor in Korean studies to its offerings.<\/p>\n

The university has long had a Korean program that offered language classes for interested students, but this school year marks the inception of a minor degree in Korean studies. 51ÁÔÆæ students in the Korean program have been waiting a long time to be able to declare such a minor, said Sooho Song, an associate professor and co-coordinator of the Korean language program.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the moment I joined teaching Korean language, the students have been asking to create \u2026 the minor. At the time, they just took Korean language courses because they really liked it,\u201d Song said. She estimates that eight students have already declared a minor in Korean studies, with five who will graduate with their minor this spring. Even more students are interested in declaring next year, Song added.<\/p>\n

Two students who have already declared minors include Olivia King and Jazmine Scott. Both became interested in learning Korean through Korean music and television.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m truly excited to have Korean studies as a minor,\u201d Scott said. Though she is majoring in Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx studies, she thinks having a Korean studies minor will turn into a major benefit. \u201cKorean is not an easy language by any means, but having it as a minor shows dedication, a willingness to learn, and cultural diversity. Additionally it separates you from others as Korean is a very unique and niche language to learn,\u201d Scott added.<\/p>\n

The minor requires that students take six semesters of Korean language classes up into the 300-level, as well as six credits of additional coursework. That includes Korean 221, \u201cKorean Culture and Society.\u201d Students can also fulfill some of their credits by studying abroad and applying for a waiver.<\/p>\n

The minor couldn\u2019t come at a better time. 51ÁÔÆæ has joined a growing number of universities across the United States that are establishing majors and minors in Korean.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlready 54 universities in the United States have created a Korean minor. This is not only us,\u201d Song said. \u201cWe have to make our students (able) to compete with them when they apply for jobs in international corporations.\u201d<\/p>\n

And there will be competition for those jobs, Song added. Korea is a growing global power with the world\u2019s 10th-largest economy in terms of GDP. Its technology sector is growing with companies like Samsung and Hyundai leading the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell they need a lot of people who can work in international trade and business. Their businesses are growing,\u201d Song said. And, she added, the U.S. State Department and security services will likely be looking to recruit graduates of Korean programs. \u201cCritically, with the North Korean nuclear threat, we need people who really understand Korean culture and Korean society better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Plus, King noted, having experience speaking any foreign language is attractive to prospective employers. \u201cI think it will be helpful in my future career! I want to do something that has to do with languages, so I think them seeing that I can speak another will be helpful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Many students like King and Scott have already been exposed to Korean culture as a matter of course. Song says a \u201cKorean Wave\u201d has begun spreading the country\u2019s culture around the world through popular media. Americans and other people around the world are hungry for everything from the K-Pop genre of music, including the wildly successful band BTS, to Korean movies and television dramas. You may have watched the Korean show \u201cSquid Game\u201d on Netflix last year, or applauded when the Korean film \u201cParasite\u201d won four Oscars at the 2020 Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.<\/p>\n

All of that popular media is driving interest in the country\u2019s culture \u2013 and may lead to job opportunities within Korea\u2019s entertainment industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven 10 years ago, who would imagine a movie produced by a Korean director in Korea would be able to get an Oscar, let alone \u2018Best Picture?\u2019\u201d Song asked. \u201cBut it\u2019s happening. I believe it will last for a while, and it will create more jobs and more opportunities for the students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students who are interested in declaring a Korean studies minor can visit the program\u2019s website<\/a> for more information or speak with their advisor about the process. Some of Song\u2019s former students are a bit miffed that they missed their opportunity to complete the minor, she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s program will give students a competitive edge as they explore career options in international business, technology, entertainment, or government.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough they are not perfectly fluent in Korean, they understand Korean culture,\u201d Song said of her students. \u201cThere have been foreign people who are employees in Korea for a while, but a lot of them didn\u2019t understand Korea before they came. It created a conflict, sometimes. We definitely need people who have studied properly about Korea and understand Korea, love Korea, know a pretty good level of language and understand the nature of Korea.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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