South Korean Embassy flags Hindi Language issue with Korean Edu Ministry, New Southern Policy Committee, BUFS

Sanjeev K Ahuja On Jan 3, 2021

ACN IMPACT: NEW DELHI: Apparently concerned about the possible negative impact of a private Korean university’s plan of drastically reducing the Hindi language courses on Indo-Korea friendly relations, the New Delhi-based Embassy of the Republic of Korea has swung into action and alerted the top Korean government authorities including the Education ministry.

While taking cognizance of the news report published by the Asian Community News (ACN) Network titled “Korean University to drastically shrink Hindi language curriculum almost near to its closure” dated Dec 22, 2020) Shin Bong-kil, Ambassador, Embassy of ROK in India wrote a letter to the president of Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS) Jeong Gi-yeong and other Korean government authorities including the Education Minister (International Education Cooperation Officer).

Other recipients of the letter included Asia-Pacific Director-II, Director UNESCO, Director of Public Education, Chairman of New Southern Policy Committee, Consulate Generals in Mumbai and Chennai, Public Diplomacy General Manager, and Media Officer, Policy Planning Committee.

The embassy letter was shot to various Korean government departments and the BUFS president the very next day the news appeared on ACN and mentioned the content published thereof.

The report said that the Busan University of Foreign Studies had announced a plan to reduce Hindi classes in the Indian department from the current 70 percent to 10-15 percent from the 2021 semester, and accordingly, professors and students of the Indian department are protesting/resisting.

When contacted, Prof. Soon-Chul Lee, Indian Business and Area Studies, BUFS, confirmed to the ACN that such a letter was received from the embassy of ROK from India.

“Yes, we have received a letter from the Korean Embassy, News Delhi. The Embassy has asked us not to reduce Hindi classes,” said Prof. Lee who teaches Economics major at BUFS.

A similar concern was expressed by the Indian Embassy in Seoul recently when the Indian Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan too took up the matter with BUFS authorities and sought the draft copy of the new curriculum that the university has prepared.

According to Prof. Lee, the BUFS was almost about to decide on the new curriculum structure and the Indian embassy would be informed accordingly.

It is noteworthy here that Dr. Son Yeon Woo, a Korean native and Hindi language professor at BUFS has put her foot down against the management and has refused to give her consent on the restructured curriculum, which dropped Hindi language studies to almost to its closure.