The Korea Foundation held a special publication ceremony at Hotel President in Seoul on January 23, 2018. The celebration marked the publication of the 2018 White Paper on Korean Studies Abroad, an updated and extended version of the 2007 White Paper on Korean Studies Abroad.

The 2018 White Paper on Korean Studies Abroad contains a list of 1,348 universities in 105 countries offering Korean studies programs, including comprehensive information on Korean studies degree courses offered in 464 universities in 87 countries. Furthermore, 15 articles from Korean studies specialists, and the status of the Korean studies centers and associations abroad are featured in the White Paper.

The KF also established an online database covering the status of Korean studies programs abroad, based on the research findings of the 2018 White Paper on Korean Studies Abroad. The data was provided by overseas Korean embassies, as well as survey results compiled from an extensive list of foreign universities. Visitors can access the database through the KF website, along with more detailed information on the program, including an interactive map of Korean Studies programs worldwide. (www.kf.or.kr/koreanstudies)

As part of the celebrations, Lee Eun-yong, Director-General for the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Eunjeung Lee, Director of the Institute of Korean Studies, Free University of Berlin; HaiYoung Lee, Dean of the Graduate School of Teaching Foreign Languages, Ewha Womans University, delivered a congratulatory remarks to the more than 100 participants from related organizations in attendance.