With South Korea being the third largest provider of international students to the United States and a major provider to the University of South Carolina, the lack of a Korean language major here is baffling. This language is only growing in importance, for both students with plans to pursue public and private sector careers. The University of South Carolina already offers eight languages as minor and major courses of study — surely another important language should be added to this list.
The Korean language is complex with several different dialects, Gyeonggi being the most popular. The dialect spoken around the capital of South Korea, Seoul, would be the most beneficial for American students to learn because Seoul is where many study abroad opportunities are located. Additionally, since Seoul is a major city for business, students would benefit from an in-depth education in this dialect.
Korean is also important for anyone hoping to work internationally, as it represents both a powerful nation and powerful economy. Between South Korea and North Korea, the media is saturated with news regarding their political and economical climates. South Korea's status as a major ally of the United States also supports this argument.
On the economic side, South Korea has a growing economy that people in business can benefit from. Last year, the South Korean GDP hit a seven-year high and will likely continue to grow. Technological advancements in South Korea are well known in America, and anyone wishing to go into esports will surely find that this is the right country to work in. Because of this, the University of South Carolina should offer a program of study in such an important language. We boast the best international business program in the United States, so we need to offer a major for such a prominent language for international business.
Additionally to the benefits of learning Korean, in some ways the language itself is not too difficult to learn. The alphabet can be memorized fairly quickly, helping beginners create a strong foundational basis in a short period of time. Pronunciation of words is just how it is written, unlike the complicated setup of some English words. Furthermore, it is not a tonal language like many other Asian languages, of which two, Chinese and Japanese, are already offered here.
The Korean language boasts many speakers (more native speakers than French) and will continue to grow in prevalence throughout our generation’s lifetime. Offering students here the opportunity to major in such an important language cannot be overemphasized.