The Korean language, once limited to the Korean Peninsula, has experienced a dramatic surge in global popularity due to the rise of K-pop, Korean dramas, and films. Even though this has led to increased enrollment in Korean language courses by both ethnic Koreans and non-Korean learners, achieving fluency remains a significant challenge. For the Korean diaspora worldwide, maintaining their linguistic heritage poses unique difficulties because as new generations emerge, the use of Korean as the primary language at home faces the risk of fading away, challenged by the pressures of assimilation and the dominance of local languages in their adopted countries. So who’s committing to learning the Korean language and what motivates them? What constitutes success and how many will go on to reach fluency? And what factors influence Korean language retention among heritage speakers in diaspora communities? Dr Nicola Fraschini and Dr Sin Ji Jung from Asia Institute discuss the complexities around learning Korean with host Sami Shah.

An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. Transcript here.

Main image: Dr Nicola Fraschini and Dr Sin Ji Jung, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne. Listing image: Colourful cubes with Korean text at the Korea Pavilion, Shanghai World Expo. Credit: David Spencer/Flikr.