[국제심포지엄 기조강연] 안팎의 한국학과 그 전망

Abstract

This paper examines the situation of Korean studies at home and abroad and presents the prospects. Korean studies in Korea should break away from the rigidities of the discipline and academic framework where Korean studies-related majors are bound. To this end, it is necessary to set up a new academic unit of Korean studies and each university actively practices it to respond to changes in the recent academic ecosystem. It will eventually contribute to pioneering a new way forward in humanities area. Overseas Korean studies is gradually growing. The expansion of global attention and influence of Korean culture (K-Pop, K-Film, K-Drama, etc.) is driving the spread of Korean studies. Considering this trend, public institutions under government ministries should come up with supports while appropriately coordinating Korean studies-related projects. In particular, it is necessary to carefully review the existing overseas Korean studies-related projects to prepare efficient supports while avoiding overlapping financial supports. In consideration of this, it is necessary to actively communicate with each other in and out of Korean studies scholars, while planning the development of Korean studies. It is necessary to raise joint projects with overseas Korean studies, expand the connection between in and out of Korean studies scholars, and expand human resources in various ways. When this is possible, it will be able to present the outlook for Korean studies both in home and abroad, and actively ask the government to expand supports related to Korean studies. Moreover, the digital environment does not border anywhere inside and outside of the country, as well as here and there of the academic world. Scholars of Korean studies in this present should escape from Korean studies around them and make independent transmission in world academic fields. Only then can it present a academic vision that can not only communicate with overseas Korean studies but also drive next generations of the studies. This is the task left for Korean studies scholars and officers now.