Korean Studies in Vietnam: 20 Years of Teaching and Research

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Korea, with the sponsorship of the Center for Asian Studies Support - VNU Hanoi, on December 21, 2012, the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Hanoi, organized a scientific conference with the theme "Korean Studies in Vietnam - 20 Years of Teaching and Research".The workshop was not divided into many subcommittees but mainly focused on discussions in two areas: training and research in Korean studies. Attendees included representatives of scientists and lecturers from universities and research institutes in both North and South Vietnam, with 10 presentations and 10 reviewers addressing all aspects of Korean history, socio-economics, culture, and language. It can be affirmed that the emergence of Korean studies in Vietnam is a necessary development reflecting the growing relationship between the two countries over the past 20 years. While two decades may not be a long time compared to other regional studies fields, it is sufficient to reflect on the journey, assess achievements and remaining challenges, and thereby draw lessons and propose a sustainable and systematic direction for the development of training and research in this field. In the morning session, researchers listened to and discussed issues related to Korean language, literature, and culture, including: A survey of studies on intransitive and transitive verbs in Korean compared with Vietnamese; Examining factors influencing the meaning of verb forms in Korean and proposing teaching methods for Vietnamese speakers; Exploring the thoughts of poet Ko Un through his poetry collection "Song of Tomorrow"; The adaptation process of Vietnamese immigrant brides to Korean culture; and Analyzing the content of articles about Korea published in Vietnamese newspapers. In the field of linguistics, two reports primarily focused on the study of Korean, specifically verbs and tense endings, with the aim of proposing appropriate methods for teaching and researching Korean in Vietnam. While the workshop highly appreciated the research results of these two reports, it also emphasized the importance of standardizing linguistic terminology used in teaching and researching Korean in Vietnam. Although only one report was on literature, it opened up new avenues for teaching and researching Korean literature in Vietnam. Historically, Korean literature has only received attention in the areas of classical literature and literary history. With the introduction and discussion of a modern Korean author, the workshop concluded that more attention should be paid to modern Korean literature, identifying its characteristics and trends, and, if possible, comparing it with Vietnamese literature. The field of Korean culture received significant attention from delegates, with presentations focusing on its relevance to Vietnam, such as the adaptation of Vietnamese people (specifically Vietnamese brides) to Korean culture, and Vietnam's perception of Korea as reflected in Vietnamese media. Discussions in this area proposed further research directions, including systematic classification and in-depth analysis of specific issues. In the afternoon session, presentations and opinions focused on historical, political, and socio-economic issues such as: a look back at reforms and innovations in Korea and Vietnam from the modern era to the present; the ups and downs of Korea's foreign policy towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from 1948 to the present; Korea's policy perspective on the realization of the ASEAN Community (AC); the role of the government in Korea's economic development; and an understanding of the 386 generation in Korea. Two reports on history covered South Korea's reform and innovation from the modern era and its policy towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from 1948 to the present. Based on historical analysis, scholars discussed and examined the foundations and future development trends of South Korea. At the conference, experts and researchers in Korean studies found common ground in research on the role of the government in South Korea's economic development, as well as South Korea's international relations with countries in the region. In particular, they discussed the need for greater emphasis on research into South Korea's role and influence within the ASEAN community. In the social section, a report analyzed the role of the generation born in the 1960s in the development of South Korean society, offering a new and interesting perspective on South Korean studies. The conference was assessed as having high professional quality and was an event that contributed to encouraging scientific research, especially in the field of Korean studies, in the future. The conference proceedings, including the discussion papers, will be a valuable reference document, showing some of the results in Korean studies training and research in Vietnam, and also raising issues in several areas that could develop into new directions in the future.