by
Sun Joun-yung
[Former South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations, Professor, Kyungnam University]
posted February 20, 2006
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 Preface : |
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Article : |
* This article first appeared in the Korea Times, January 18,
2006, and is available online at
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200601/kt2006011817260810160.htm.
Nowadays, one seldom sees people in the subways of Seoul reading
books or newspapers. Those reading English or other foreign
language materials are practically non-existent.
This is what I was told several weeks ago by a European
ambassador, resident in Seoul, who frequently rides the subway
to get out of town during the weekends. He asked me why this was
the case. He was well aware that, as is the case in many other
countries, English is a crucial element to individual
competitiveness in Korea, especially for young people faced with
college entrance examinations or pursuing employment.
This is not an easy question to answer. Doing any kind of
reading in public places such as subways has yet to become part
of Korean culture. Reading English material in subway cars may
require a certain degree of courage for young people these days,
perhaps because they are uncomfortable with what their peers
might think.
Competitiveness in the world economy will no doubt become more
and more knowledge-based. Therefore, the intellectual level of
the people of a country will be an important ingredient in their
global, economic competitiveness.
For example, the "Lisbon Strategy," adopted by the European
Union summit in Lisbon in 2000, aims at achieving a knowledge-
based European economy, equipped with the highest
competitiveness in the world by 2010.
Enhancing the intellectual level of the Korean people through
increased reading, among other things, is highly desirable.
English is particularly important for the Korean people, who are
among the largest beneficiaries of globalization.
Korea has emerged as the 11th largest economy in the world, with
its GDP reaching $803 billion, its GDP per capita $16,400, and
its trade $546 billion by the end of 2005.
Remarkable an achievement as this is, there is no room for self-
complacency.
It is encouraging to note that the London-based consulting
company Euro-Asia Business Consultancy recently predicted that
South Korea would emerge as the seventh or eighth largest world
economy in 2025 with a population of 80 million after a possible
reunification.
However, we should bear in mind that the rate of the Korean
economy's dependency on external trade remains as high as 68
percent, making it keenly vulnerable to changes in the overseas
economic climate. Korea's key industries such as shipbuilding,
electronics, and the iron and steel industries will continue to
be confronted with relentless waves of competition from other
countries.
No one denies that English serves as an important medium for
promoting Korea's national interests in the international arena
and for advancing the commercial interests of its private sector
in the world market. Negotiations are conducted in English and
agreements are signed in English in almost all cases. English
has already become the lingua franca of the Internet world.
Through the medium of English, one can easily swim this
unlimited "cyberpool" of knowledge.
For Koreans, fluency in English is inextricably linked to
remaining internationally competitive. Many more skilled or
professional jobs overseas would be made accessible to Korean
aspirants if they were armed with functional English.
English, Russian, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Arabic are the
six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic is an
official language only in relation to the General Assembly, the
Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council).
Korea is one of the few countries whose mother tongue or
official language is not included in any of the six languages.
Production of one page of a United Nations document in the six
official languages costs $800, according to a report submitted
by the UN Secretariat several years ago.
Korea has become the 11th largest financial contributor to the
United Nations, budgeting over $120 million toward its regular
and peace-keeping operations each year. There is no possibility
for the Korean language to become one of the official languages
of the United Nations in the foreseeable future.
Therefore, Korean officials and civilians participating in UN
activities will have to continue to wrestle with English if they
want to play a role duly commensurate with their international
status.
According to statistics released by the Korean Educational
Development Institute last week, during the one-year period
ending in February 2005, 16,400 Korean students in elementary
and secondary schools left their country to study abroad.
This represents an increasing trend of exodus of young Korean
students to foreign countries, even creating the so-called
"goose families." They migrate to the United States, Australia,
Canada, Singapore, India, and even Fiji and Tonga in order to
receive an education in English.
The government is responsible for addressing institutionally the
enhancement of Korea's long-term international competitiveness
with vision and foresight into the future.
In January this year, the Ministry of Education and Human
Resources Development announced that English would be a part of
the first grade curriculum in 2008 and that a pilot program
would begin in selected schools in August 2006. While this is a
significant step forward, Korea is still lagging behind.
China began to give English lessons to third graders in
elementary schools in big cities in 2001 and in rural areas in
2002. True, Korea's elementary schools started to teach third
graders English in 1997, but the lessons were a mere hour a week.
Increased teaching hours and more native English teachers should
be provided to elementary school students at an earlier age. The
government should make this important investment for the future
a high priority.
In order for Korea to remain competitive in an increasingly
globalized world, government policies and relevant NGOs'
activities should be directed towards heightening the individual
citizen's awareness of the need to pursue knowledge through
reading. Hopefully, the day when one will see a great many
people reading books in the subway is not far away.
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