More foreigners apply to major in Korean studies: report

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- A growing number of foreigners are interested in studying about Korea, spurred by the growing cultural power of Asia's fourth-largest economy, a report showed Thursday.
Foreigners who applied for the Graduate School of Korean Studies (GSKS) at the state-run Academy of Korean Studies totaled 156 this year, up from 35 in 2009 and 143 in 2010, according to the report by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
The GSKS was established in 1980 to nurture scholars to conduct in-depth research in Korean studies and promote education in related subjects around the world. It waives tuition for international students.
By nationality, Chinese students topped the list with 100, followed by Mongolians (35), Russians (23), Uzbeks (22), Vietnamese (21) and Taiwanese (10), during the cited period, the report said.
The Korean studies program was most popular among those from Asia with 238 students, it noted, followed by Europe (63), Africa (15), North America (12), Central and South America (4) and Oceania (2).
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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