Dear editor,
I read with considerable interest a Nov. 4 interview given by Culture Minister Yu In-chon to The Korea Times. The headline reads: ``Minister Plans Long-Term Blueprint to Promote Culture."
Indeed, it is very important to promote Korea culture, not only in the West but in other parts of Asia, such as India, with Korean films, TV dramas, and K-pop, which are not well-known outside of Southeast Asia.
The minister did not mention in the interview, however, the Korean language. When I taught English at a school in Incheon, one of the most interesting things I encountered was the Korean language and its scientific writing system.
Both China and Japan vigorously support their languages when they promote their own cultures abroad: the South Korean government should do the same.
The development of Hangeul during the 16th century by the Joseon Kingdom, as a way of helping the ordinary Korean people to read and write, is significant to social history and unique to Korea.
Learning to read, write and speak Korean will help foreigners to read Korean literature and media and follow Korean TV and film.
Shouvik Datta Prague, the Czech Republic shouvikdatta6@googlemail.com