College students shun Chinese studies on fast-changing market dynamics

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Fewer people are majoring in Chinese studies, which experienced a significant surge in popularity during China’s rapid growth in the early 2000s, as college admissions has fallen nearly 50 percent over the last four years and demand for Chinese proficiency in the job market has diminished.

Choo Jaewoo, a 20-year professor in Chinese studies at Kyung Hee University, said he managed to open a class last semester amid falling class registrations. “Back in 2019, my class got cancelled for the first time and since then, registrations have declined every year to just above the minimum requirement. The decline poses an existential threat,” said Choo.

Western and Japanese studies have emerged as alternative majors to Chinese. “Many students took Chinese studies as a literal arts course or something, but these courses are often canceled due to lack of interest among students,” said an unnamed professor at the Seoul-based university.

“Graduates from Chinese studies often face unexpected difficulties in finding jobs after graduation due to the dynamics of diplomatic and political relations between South Korea and China, which might have contributed to the falling popularity,” said another professor who teaches Chinese studies at a university in Seoul.

The number of applicants and admissions for Chinese studies has declined every year. According to the data from the government, the applicants and admissions stood at 22,149 and 4,014 in 2018, respectively. However, the figure plummeted in 2022, with applicants of 17,725 and admissions of 2,727.

College students said majoring in Chinese studies no longer gives them an advantage in the job market. “Job applicants with a high proficiency in Chinese had more opportunities in the past, but I find more people good at Chinese, and majoring in that language is no longer advantageous,” said an unnamed graduate, 27, from Chinese studies.

The decline in the popularity of Chinese studies can also be attributed to the waning interest in language majors among students. Back in 2018, there were a total of 174,611 applicants, out of which 27,048 were granted admission. However, these numbers had declined notably to 153,686 applicants and 22,548 admissions in 2022, marking a significant decline over the last four years.

“Other several factors might have contributed to the weaker market demand for Chinese proficiency, including a growing number of Chinese with high proficiency in Korean,” said Choo.