The Korea Foundation organized the 2018 KF Special Lectures on Korean Studies program at six universities across Thailand and Indonesia from April 24 to 27.

In Thailand, Professor Kim Eungi of Korea University spoke on Korean culture at Chulalongkorn University, while Professor Kee Youngwha of Soongsil University spoke on the Korean education system at Burapha University.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, Professor Jung Joo-youn of Korea University and Professor Ha Joon-kyung of Hanyang University delivered lectures on Korean politics and the Korean economy, respectively, at the University of Indonesia, National University, Gadjah Mada University and Indonesia University of Education.

Each lecture was a great success, with between 100 and 200 students and faculty members in attendance. Showing keen interest in Korea, the students asked questions about the political and economic prospects after Korean unification in the wake of the recent inter-Korean summit. The students showed further interest in determining whether the driving force of South Korean economic growth was applicable to Thailand and Indonesia, and what implications South Korean economic development might have for their countries.

The universities for the recent lectures were selected from among those with active Korean studies programs and courses. Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University and Indonesia’s University of Indonesia in particular are among the most prestigious universities in their respective countries, representing the hub of Korean studies in ASEAN. Expectations are high that the recent special lectures will have a great effect on the development of Korean studies in the region.