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네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

Major Foundation Activities in 2008

In addition to its fundamental efforts to promote goodwill and friendship through international exchange activities, the Korea Foundation also seeks to bolster Korea’s global image and advance its national interests through cultural diplomacy.

Korean Studies Department

‘Soft Power Is the Future’
As part of the efforts to enhance the Korean public’s understanding about the concept and importance of “soft power,” the Foundation has invited Joseph S. Nye, Professor of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, to present a public lecture on the theme, “Smart Power: The Lessons of War on Terror,” at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (February 12, 2008). Professor Nye is credited with creating the concept and principles of soft power, which has emerged as an essential element of international relations.

Expanded Initiatives
In cooperation with KBS, in 2008, the Foundation will select and subtitle in English 20 episodes of “History Special,” a TV ary series on Korean history. The Foundation will also collaborate with local Taekwondo organizations for the dispatch of Taekwondo practitioners to universities abroad. The Foundation will also host a quiz program, based on the format of the popular “Golden Bell Challenge” (KBS) for Korean language students in Vietnam.

Closer Interaction
The Foundation has been organizing regular workshops for Korean Studies scholars in the regions of North America, Europe, China, and Russia, to devise program support strategies that reflect the particular demands of each region. Such efforts were institutionalized last year through the establishment of standing advisory committees for Korean Studies in North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand, along with a joint advisory group for other regions. This year, in conjunction with relevant specialists, the Foundation will identify effective means to further promote Korean Studies activities in Asia, including the countries of Central Asia.


Korean Language Department

Korean Language Courses
In 2008, the Foundation will extend assistance to 25 institutions of higher learning in 19 countries for the establishment of Korean-language professorships and employment of faculty staff. The Foundation also plans to dispatch Korean-language educators, selected through a nationwide recruitment in Korea, to 25 universities in 17 countries.

Training for Educators
The Foundation organizes regular training programs for Korean-language professors and instructors at the university level, which focus on the specific needs and characteristics of each country and region. Plans for 2008 call for workshops and training sessions for Korean-language educators from China, Japan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe.

Development of Materials
In consultation with Korean-language education specialists from at home and abroad, the Foundation will continue to develop a variety of textbooks and supplemental reference materials.

Korean Language Fellowship
The Foundation is supporting 90 graduate students majoring in Korean studies/language, Korean-language faculty members, and international exchange professionals, from 42 countries, who will visit Korea to attend Korean-language training under the Fellowship for Korean Language Training program. In addition, program assistance will be provided to diplomats from countries in Asia (12), the CIS (4), the Middle East/Africa (9), and Central/South America (2).


Fellowship Program Department

Fellowship for Field Research
The Fellowship for Field Research program supports the efforts of Korea-related scholars to conduct onsite research in Korea and develop working relations with their Korean counterparts. The Foundation also invites foreign professors to 22 graduate schools of international studies at Korean universities to encourage research endeavors in the social sciences and facilitate academic exchanges. Foundation Fellows also participate in Korean Studies forums, hosted by Yonsei University and Sogang University, where they present their research findings.

Fellowship for Graduate Studies
The Foundation has steadily expanded its support to graduate students of Korean Studies at leading universities in North America, Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Oceania, and China. In 2008, the Foundation will reinforce its assistance for Korean Studies students enrolled at universities in Korea, and adjust the program benefits to satisfy local demand more effectively by broadening the scope of eligibility and increasing the scholarship aid.

Support for Research and Writing
The Foundation will increase its support to senior scholars for their writing, publication, and development of Korean Studies and Korean language textbooks. Especially, the Foundation plans to refine its postdoctoral fellowship program in order to address the specific regional demands of Oceania, Europe, and Asia, as well as North America. As for its publication subsidy, the Foundation will focus its efforts on countries of Arabic cultures and Central Asia.

Korean Studies Workshop
The Foundation organizes a series of Korean Studies workshops for foreign educators, so that they can improve their understanding about Korea and enhance the quality of Korea-related education. Secondary school teachers of history and social studies, textbook writers, and education administrations from the U.S., Japan, China, Europe, and Southeast Asia are invited to Korea to participate in two-week workshops, comprised of lectures on Korean history, culture, education, and politics, visits to local schools, home-stay with a Korean family, and various cultural activities.


Intellectual Exchanges Department

Bilateral/Regional Forums
The Foundation organizes and supports bilateral forums with Korea’s longtime partner countries, including the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, China, Japan, and Russia as well as emerging powers, like India and Brazil, along with regional groups such as ASEAN and Central Asia. In particular, these forums serve as a valuable dialogue channel for representatives of the political, business, academic, and cultural sectors. In 2008, the Foundation is scheduled to conduct 13 bilateral forums and three regional events.

Invitation Program
The Foundation plans to host the visit of about 150 prominent individuals to Korea in 2008 to provide them with an opportunity to meet with relevant organizations and improve their personal understanding about Korea. In addition, the Foundation will launch a new program for the invitation of distinguished foreign scholars to Korea.

Next-Generation Leaders Program
In 2008, the Foundation plans to organize a new “Asian Next-Generation Leaders Forum,” which will include about 200 participants. The Foundation will also expand its exchange programs with young leaders from the U.S., China, Australia, Japan, and Southeast/Southwest Asia. Also, university-student exchange programs with the U.S., China, and Japan will be conducted and gradually expanded.


Culture and Arts Department

Support for Overseas Museums
The Foundation extends support to prestigious museums abroad for the establishment of Korean galleries, in an effort to secure permanent exhibition space for the display of Korea’s art and culture to worldwide audiences. In addition, the Foundation supports various exhibitions and informational programs implemented by these Korean galleries, along with hosting an annual workshop for Korean art curators. In 2008, the Foundation will provide assistance for the development of Korean gallery projects at leading museums in the United States and Russia.

Performances and Exhibitions
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Korea-Thailand diplomatic relations in 2008, the Foundation plans to support a Korean art troupe’s performance in Thailand. The Foundation will also organize a touring exhibition and performance in Central and South America, including Caribbean countries, where two-way exchange activities have been considerably limited thus far. Scheduled projects also include a second workshop on Korean food, touring performance of traditional Korean performing groups in Central Asia and Southeast Asia, and an exhibition of contemporary Korean arts in Europe.


Korea Foundation Cultural Center

The Korea Foundation Cultural Center plans to offer programs that help to promote a better understanding and appreciation of various world cultures. For this year, the Center’s Regular Lecture Series, will feature a theme of “Silk Road: West Meets East.” The Center also plans to organize a new lecture series targeted for foreign residents. From March through June, the Center will host an exhibition of ceramic masterpieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum, In addition, the Center will continue to show foreign films, and acquire a variety of new Korean and foreign books, as well as multimedia materials.


Media Department

Publications and Multimedia Production
The “Hanok,” “Faces of Seoul,” and “The Mysterious Chants of the Shaman” video projects, which have received Foundation support, are scheduled for completion in early 2008. Also this year, program support is being extended to five multimedia production projects “The Arch of Enlightenment,” “Novelists’ Seoul,” and “Ancient Doctors” by foreign producers, and “Jongmyo” and “East Gate” by Korean producers to expand the availability of English-language visual content on Korea’s culture and history. In addition, three books, related to the Goguryeo tomb murals, cultural symbols of Korea, and Korea’s history, are slated for publication in 2008.

Korean Culture Series
The Foundation’s Korean Culture Series represents an eight-volume publication project for the purpose of providing detailed information about various aspects of Korean culture for English-language readers. In 2008, the “Gilt-Bronze Half-Seated Contemplative Maitreya” volume, which provides an extensive introduction of this masterpiece of Buddhist art, will be published.

Reference Materials
Under the Distribution of Resources for Korean Studies program, the Foundation provides Korea-related reference materials to universities and research institutes. In addition, the Distribution of Introductory Resources on Korea program, which is intended for countries where there is relatively lesser awareness of Korea, annually provides packages of about 40 introductory books and DVDs to public libraries and related organizations.

Koreana and Korea Focus
The Foundation publishes Koreana, a quarterly magazine on Korea’s culture and arts (28,000 copies per issue), in eight languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, and German. Korea Focus, an English-language journal on Korea’s current affairs is published monthly in a webzine format and quarterly in print. Meanwhile, the Korea Foundation Newsletter is now published in Korean and English and distributed on a monthly basis.

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