From K-pop phenomena "Gangnam Style" and BTS to South Korea's success on screen with Parasite and Squid Game, interest in Korean popular culture has skyrocketed in the past decade. One way experts have seen this interest manifest is in the steep rise in enrollment in Korean language classes.
U.S. college student enrollment in Korean language classes has risen 78% from 2009 to 2016, reaching 15,000, while total enrollment in language classes has plateaued in recent years, according to data analyzed from Modern Language Association. The only other widely learned language with significant growth in the span was American Sign Language, which increased enrollments by 37%.
East Asian Studies departments have struggled to accommodate the increasing demand for Korean classes, which historically have been limited and underresourced, experts say.
