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Zeal for learning the Korean language is sweeping the Asian region. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development and the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation said that 17,531 people have applied for the 8th Korean language ability test, up 44 percent. The test will be carried out in four regions of Korea and 43 regions of 15 foreign counties. 90 percent of the applicants were non-ethnic Koreans and 10 percent were ethnic Koreans living abroad.
The number of applicants from the Eastern Asian region has surged the most. In particular, the number of Japanese applicants was 6,185, the largest among the total following last year (4,986 people.) Since Korean language was chosen in 2001 as a subject for Japan¡¯s college entrance exam, the number of applicants for the Korean language test has jumped to 165 people in 2003 from 99 in 2002, and it is expected that the number will further increase this year. An Education Ministry official said, ¡°Japanese people are thronging to 14 Korean study institutes in Japan. We have analyzed that the mega popularity of drama 'Winter Sonata' has led to the surge in the number of Japanese people who want to learn Korean.¡±
The number of Chinese applicants soared 2.7 times from 1,013 to 2,737 from a year earlier. The number of Vietnamese applicants also jumped 2.8 times to 658, compared to last year (238).
The Education Ministry said that the Korean government is trying to stimulate the learning of Korean in U.S. middle and high schools since Korean was selected as a subject for the U.S.¡¯ Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in 1997. The number of Korean language learners has been steadily increasing in Australia and Canada, as the Korean government provides financial support for developing Korean language curriculums there.
The government began to conduct the state authorized Korean language ability test in 1997 for foreigners who need Korean in order to study or get a job in Korea.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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