Skip to main content

Korea occupies a place in the world of significant geopolitical, economic, and cultural importance. Korea is a unique country where five thousand years of history and tradition coexist with the most advanced technological and economic development. It is also a place where political and ideological differences divide the country into two Koreas, Republic of Korea, a.k.a. South Korea, and Democratic Republic of Korea, a.k.a. North Korea, and maintain one of the world’s most fortified military zones. The Korean peninsula is home to over 72 million ethnic Koreans, North and South combined, and over 1.3 million recent migrants from all over the world. Approximately 7 million ethnic Koreans have migrated to other countries and have established diasporic communities in over 150 countries.

Korean language is spoken by over 75 million people around the world and ranks 13th among the most used languages in the world. Due to Korea’s significance in global economies, politics, and culture, the number of people learning Korean increases dramatically every year. Korean language is considered as one of the most scientific languages in the world.

The Korean Language and Culture Program at UNC-Chapel Hill offers more than three years of language instruction as well as content courses in Korean history, culture, and society. Our language courses are designed to promote students’ communicative and intercultural competency through integration of rigorous language instruction and critical cultural knowledge and understanding. The Korean Language and Culture Program at UNC is also committed to providing diverse intellectual and cultural activities for students and the wider UNC community.