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| Baik Tae-ung, head of the Center for Korean Studies of the University of Hawaii at Manoa poses in front of the center building during an interview with The Korea Times, June 30 (local time). Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin |
By Lee Hyo-jin
HONOLULU ― A global boom of Korean pop music, films and TV dramas in recent years has generated worldwide interest in Korea and its culture as a whole. And this has led to an increase in people seeking to pursue an academic career in Korean studies.
However, there is still a long way to go to create a sustainable environment nurturing Koreanist scholars, said Baik Tae-ung, head of the Center for Korean Studies in the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the oldest and largest research center dedicated to Korean studies outside the country.
Established in 1972, the institution serves as an educational hub with over 40 faculty members offering courses or conducting research related to Korea and organizing various academic events.
The center recently co-organized the World Korea Forum on June 29 and 30 (local time), marking the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the first generation of Korean immigrants on Hawaii.
During the two-day forum, Baik, who has been leading the center since 2011, talked with The Korea Times about the current status of Korean studies and ways to boost support for the field.
"Global interest toward Korean culture has expanded tremendously in recent years, which spurred establishments of many new educational institutions and programs across the world. In our university too, Korean studies is very popular compared to Chinese or Japanese," he said.
"But the problem is, even our center, which is the oldest one in North America, does not have enough financial support to expand faculty or courses."
Currently, the center is operated by funds from the University of Hawaii and indirect financial support from the Korean government through grants.
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| The Center for Korean Studies of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The design of the main building and the pavilion were inspired by Geunjeongjeon and Hyangwonjeong at Gyeongbok Palace. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin |
"The support from the university is not that big. So when it comes to the question of whether we are covering all necessary subjects, such as history, politics, the economy and traditional culture, there's still a far way to go," he said. "It is regretful that there is almost no support from the private sector."
But Baik was optimistic about the future of Korean studies.
"Although the field is not fully prosperous, it is expanding at a rapid pace. The surge in the number of foreigners seeking to become Koreanists will eventually lead to improvement of research quality," he said.
He also stressed that the popularity of Korean culture in Hawaii would not be short-lived, as it has existed far before the spread of hallyu, or the Korean wave. Korea has never been a new country for the Hawaiian residents since the arrival of first-generation immigrants to the island state in the early 20th century.
"Ethnic Koreans are highly respected among the local community thanks to their contributions in shaping Hawaii's diverse and vibrant culture," Baik said. "Over 50,000 people consider themselves as ethnic Koreans and there are proud of their heritage."
Baik went on to say that the Korean community had made substantial contributions to the construction of his center.
"One-third of the budget needed for the construction was provided by the Korean government, and another one-third was offered by the state government. And the remaining amount was donated by the Korean residents," he explained.
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| The pavilion at the Center for Korean Studies in the University of Hawaii. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin |
Meanwhile, Baik welcomed the possible establishment of a government agency handling issues related to overseas Koreans, which was proposed by President Yoon Suk-yeol during his election campaign.
"Korean Americans are increasingly becoming positive about strengthening ties with Korea. Now is the opportune time for the government to make a decisive action to embrace them as valuable assets to the country," he said.
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