Role of Korean Wave and Korean language in Mongolia in commemoration of 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Mongolia

H.E Lee Yeohong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Mongolia

▲ Profile of Lee Yeohong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Mongolia

After majoring in Business Administration at Hanyang University, he started work at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China as an assistant secretary in 1999. Since then, he has worked as a counselor, and in 2011, he served as Vice Consul General at the Korean Consulate in Hong Kong. In 2017, after holding the position of Minister at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, he was appointed the 13th Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Mongolia in 2019.

Q1. You have been involved in diplomatic work in China and Hong Kong since 1999. How has the Korean Wave changed things in the past 20 years? While serving the government, I spent most of my time in China and Hong Kong, so I personally witnessed the Korean Wave spread. In the 1990s when I first went to China to study and started working, Korean culture wasn’t widely known about, but when I was dispatched to Hong Kong in 2011, 5 news related to Korea were broadcast on average and I was able to see evidence of the Korean wave in various fields such as broadcasting, movies, music, and animations across Hong Kong.

The Korean Wave in Asia started from dramas like Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum, then spread to K-POP idols as well as to Korean food and the Korean beauty industry, and fans of the Korean Wave have reached a wider demographic spectrum, from middle-aged people to youths.
Amidst such process, the demand for Korean products and the level of interest in Korean culture and Korean language has generallyincreased, so I believe that the Korean Wave has contributed significantly to the Korean economic and cultural expansion.

Q2. t has been 30 years since Korea and Mongolia established diplomatic ties in March 1990. So far, both countries have continued engaging in economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. This year, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary, what do you think the Mongolian people think of Korea? The relationship between both countries over the past 30, years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and Mongolia in 1990, has taken long strides in various fields such as politics, economics, socio-culture, and personal exchange. To Mongolia, Korea is one of its nearest neighbors that can be reached within a 3-hour flight, so it is an extremely familiar country and is also one that Mongolia wishes to resemble.
As of 2018, South Korea is the 4th biggest trade partner of Mongolia, and Korean brands such as E-Mart, CU convenience store, and Tom and Toms coffee shops can be readily seen across Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and many Korean food brands and goods have already seeped into the lives of Mongolians.

As of 2018, there are approximately 50,000 Mongolians living in Korea and considering that there are approximately 150,000 Mongolians living overseas in total, this represents the highest figure of any country. As of April 2019, there are 7,381 Mongolian students within Korea, constituting the 4th highest number of foreign students in Korea, following China, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan. This goes to show that Korea is the foreign country that Mongolians prefer to live in for various purposes such as employment and study, and Korea is so close to Mongolians that there are few Mongolians who do not have at least one family member living in Korea.

Korea is also a country that contributes to the socio-economic development of Mongolia based on economic development experience and high-level technology. The eco-friendly energy town construction project for resolving air pollution problems in Mongolia, implemented by South Korea as part of its ODA activities in Mongolia, as well as the Solongos Public Housing Complex construction, green belts, and Ulaanbaatar urban forest construction are expected to change the living environment and quality of life of Mongolians.

Q3. The first KSI was set up at the International Ulaanbaatar University in Mongolia in 2007. Since then, the KSIF has endeavored to disseminate Korean language education and Korean culture by operating 3 KSIs in Mongolia. Please tell us what kind of effects such Korean language education and overseas dissemination of Korean culture has from the perspective of maintaining and reinforcing diplomatic relations between the nations. he expansion of Korean language education and Korean culture within Mongolia is of great help in the implementation of our diplomacy in Mongolia as an essential public diplomacy asset. With a rise in the number of people who speak Korean and work in areas related to Korea, the investment of our companies in Mongolia has expanded, and with fast, personal exchanges between both countries, the relationship between Korea and Mongolia is becoming closer than at any other time before.

In fact, even when I was the Ambassador, it was easy everywhere to find talented people who had studied in Korea or who could converse in Korean, from the Presidential Office of Mongolia to the National Assembly, main government ministries, and main companies. Among the main public opinion leaders, pro-Korean groups are becoming a big supportive force for South Korean diplomacy in Mongolia based on understanding and interest in Korea.

Q4. What do you expect from KSI in the future and please feel free to give us your advice. Despite the high educational fervor for the Korean language and the demand for Korean culture in Mongolia, a Korean Culture Center or Language Education Center couldn’t be set up because of the small population of over 3.3 million, so the 3 KSIs that are in operation currently are becoming an important pivot for disseminating Korean language education and culture in Mongolia.
I hope that more institutes will conduct Korean language and Korean culture classes for Mongolian students by operating KSIs and more Mongolian students will study at KSI in order to seize greater opportunities to study and work in Korea. As such, I hope that by means of additional designation of KSIs within Mongolia or expansion of KSI learners, the Korean language and culture educational base will expand further.

Recently, looking at Mongolian students who have become proficient in the Korean language after studying at KSI and show further interest by going to study in Korea after being selected as Government Korea Students (GKS), it struck me that they will be the driving force bridging the relationship between Korea and Mongolia.
I seek the continuous interest in the dissemination of Korean language education and culture within Mongolia and the Embassy would also provide as much support as we can for KSI management within Mongolia. Thank you.