Gov't to upgrade King Sejong Institute's AI Korean language app amid rising demand

The government is set to upgrade the King Sejong Institute's AI Korean language teacher app for overseas learners amid the growing popularity of K-content and the demand for language learning around the world.

Korean teachers and officials of King Sejong Institute attend the World Korea Educator Conference 2023 in August last year. [NEWS1]

The government is set to upgrade the King Sejong Institute's AI Korean language teacher app for overseas learners amid the growing popularity of K-content and the demand for language learning around the world.

The institute's current Korean self-study smartphone app, AI Korean Teacher, will start utilizing generative AI in order to support personalized learning for each individual user. Remote classes will be established to give access to residents of smaller cities abroad and people with disabilities.

The number of institute branches worldwide will be expanded from 256 to 300 by 2027. The Culture Ministry will also strengthen the role of the institute's regional branches to act as intermediary institutions for better management, rather than the currently centralized model in which the Korean headquarters manages the branches worldwide.

The ministry also plans to have the branches serve as cultural centers, offering lectures on Korean culture to local schools and companies, and to broadcast educational content and programs worldwide.

The number of test sites for the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA), which measures Korean language communication skills, will be doubled to 100 by 2027. An internet-based version, iSKA, will also be introduced.

The government will also support the development of King Sejong Institute's students by facilitating exchange programs and employment opportunities. This includes establishing counseling centers for international students and offering advanced Korean language courses tailored to fields, such as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), to ensure that studying in Korea leads to employment.

The number of students enrolled in the King Sejong Institute has increased by around 300 times over the 17 years since the Korean language courses were launched in 2007, according to the Culture Ministry. The cumulative number of learners has reached approximately 1.06 million.

“The ‘King Sejong Institute Innovation Plan’ [translation] is significant as a localization strategy for the sustainable spread of the Korean language overseas," said Culture Minister Yu In-chon. "We will systematically refine and reorganize policies for the promotion and spread of Korean language and culture through the King Sejong Institute, helping the efforts to widely spread our language and script across the globe."

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]