InterviewSookmyung Women's University embraces K-culture, diversity for global growth

Sookmyung Women's University President Moon Si-yeun speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the university's campus in Seoul, May 12. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Sookmyung Women’s University, the nation’s first private educational institution for women established with royal patronage, is ramping up its efforts to become a global center for education, specializing in Hallyu and dedicated to nurturing the next generation of K-culture experts.

“We are trying to differentiate ourselves as a Hallyu-specialized university,” Sookmyung Women’s University President Moon Si-yeun said during an interview May 12 with The Korea Times. Hallyu, or the Korean wave, refers to the global popularity of South Korean culture that has dramatically risen since the 1990s.

“We need to think about why more foreign students are coming to study in Korea. There are over 200,000 exchange students from overseas in the country and most of them cite their love for Korean culture,” Moon said.

However, the country lacks infrastructure and academic background dedicated to the evolving K-culture boom, she explained.

“Korea needs to properly promote Hallyu content to students who came here because of their interests in the Korean culture, and that should be the reason behind (international students) coming to Sookmyung,” she said.

Sookmyung Women's University students pose with roses at the school campus in Seoul, celebrating International Women's Day on March 8, 2024. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-bin

Moon, a graduate of Sookmyung’s Department of French Language and Culture and a professor at the university since 1997, took office as its 21st president last September. She also serves as president of the World Association for Hallyu Studies.

She said Hallyu is an industrial outcome of the humanities field where women have played a prominent role. Most of the key producers in K-pop, K-drama and other Korean content are women who have excellent abilities to compose content and tell stories, leading the country to become a global cultural powerhouse.

“Many of our graduates are now at the forefront of the K-culture industry, working actively in Korean drama, film and entertainment,” she said, explaining that Lee Woo-jung, the writer of the hit “Reply” drama series and Seo Yi-re, who wrote “Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born” are among many alumni working in the field.

“This is because Sookmyung has strengths in Korean arts and popular culture education among the humanities. Based on such competitiveness, the school will further advance in Hallyu-related research and cultural projects,” she said.

Against this backdrop, the university has begun to offer a unique Hallyu-related curriculum to foster future Hallyu experts.

“Many universities here offer experience programs on Korean culture (to foreign students), but none of them teach actual Hallyu studies. In our university, people working in the field of K-drama, entertainment and media deliver real-time, on-the-ground knowledge on K-culture,” she said.

Sookmyung Women's University's freshmen pose with the school mascot at the school campus on Feb. 18. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-bin

The school launched a content convergence major in its micro-degree course, which this year includes classes such as “Drama Backstage” and “Hallyu and Media." The classes include special lectures by K-culture industry insiders and experts.

“These are very practical curricula. Hands-on experts at the forefront of the K-culture industry come to our campus and deliver lectures on newly emerging areas of the Korean wave, such as webtoons and movies. It’s very popular among our students,” she said.

Notably, Sookmyung has contributed to the globalization of Hallyu studies as a founding member of the e-school program of the Korea Foundation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2011, Moon noted.

Based on such academic exchange through the years, the school has built a global network of 407 universities from 61 countries and now has 849 students from 71 countries studying on campus.

Foreign students who joined Sookmyung Women's University's International Summer School pose in hanbok, or traditional Korean clothing, at Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, July 31, 2024. Courtesy of Sookmyung Women's University

While a large portion of foreign students in Korean universities are from neighboring China and Japan, the school aims to further promote diversity and actively attract international students from other regions, such as the Middle East and French-speaking African countries, where the popularity for the Korean culture is high but direct connections with Korea are fewer.

For example, Saudi Arabia, one of the school’s key targets, is a country with many cultural similarities to Korea, she explained.

“Saudi Arabia is a country where women’s education is separated and has a royal family background,” she said, referring to the Sookmyung's founding history by a royal family from the Joseon Dynasty. “Also, Hallyu has a significant presence in Saudi Arabia, particularly among young people in various aspects of their lives,” she said.

“Since our founding in 1906, the school has had a strong sense of commitment to the social advancement of this country, which is only possible through the education of women,” she said.

A section of Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul's Yongsan District / Courtesy of Sookmyung Women's University

Established by Empress Sunheon, the concubine of Emperor Gojong during the final years of the Korean Empire, the school’s purpose was to educate women to secure the nation’s future.

During its 119-year history, the school has led several initiatives to respond to the country’s evolving needs, Moon said. For instance, Sookmyung became the first women’s university in Korea to have a Reserve Officer Training Corp. (ROTC) in 2011. Recently, the school has started recruiting freshmen aged 50 and older.

The school has fostered female talent and leaders in many sectors, including former Naver CEO Han Seong-sook, who broke the glass ceiling as the internet giant’s first female CEO in a country where just 2.6 percent of CEOs are women.

“We will continue the journey of challenge and innovation that our society needs,” she said.

Foreign students at Sookmyung Women's University pose in hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) during a coming of age ceremony at the school campus in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Sookmyung Women's University