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Prof., Dr. German Kim
Kazakh State National al-Farabi University
Chair of the Department for Korean Studies
Korean Studies in Kazakhstan and Central Asia: the Past, the Present and the Future.
So what are Korean Studies? I think, it can be defined in two ways: firstly, as a part of Oriental Studies and secondly, as a complex linguistic-regional discipline, which includes research in the Korean language, history, culture, literature, and geography of Korea. Thus, speaking about Korean Studies, we mean all scientific and academic disciplines related to the study and research of Korea and Koreans including foreign diasporas.
The Korean Studies in Russia has a century-long history, (??) its traditions, scientific school and professional researchers. Even in the pre-revolutionary period there appeared serious works of scientists and both civil and military officials. In the Soviet period Korean Studies was subsumed within the general category of Oriental Studies and was mainly concentrated in Moscow and Leningrad.
As for the Korean Studies in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, it is currently in a developmental stage and interest in Korea emanates predominantly from members of the Korean diaspora. It is exactly this topic - Soviet Koreans (or Kore Saram, Koreans of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan) that have attracted and keep attracting the attention of historians, linguists, literary people and other scientists. It is exactly this topic that has been a priority for quite a long time, however Korean Studies are starting to embrace more topics. Indeed a number of young scholars in Central Asia and Kazakhstan are researching the issues of history, politics, economics and culture of Korea itself.
1. Korean Studies of the Soviet Period.
As mentioned above, Korean Studies in the Soviet period was concentrated in Moscow and Leningrad. The bulk of the research from these schools related to problems within and around North Korea. Although, it should be noted that there was significant success in the research of ancient, medieval and recent history of Korean culture and art. Of course, in the Central Asia and Kazakhstan such research was not carried out.
Many believe that during the Soviet period nothing was written about the Koreans of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Only the book by Kim Sung Khwa is widely known. The situation was in fact quite different, as there were many books, dissertations, and articles about Koreans in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.
I will now try to present a synopsis of the research from the Soviet period.
Firstly, since 1938 in Kazakhstan and Central Asia no researchers in Korean Studies were trained. The Korean language was not taught anywhere as a native language - neither at schools - nor in the institutes.
Secondly, research topics were strictly limited. One could only study Korean folklore, tales, proverbs, songs, and the language of the Soviet Koreans.
Thirdly, there were topics of the so-called ideological character. For instance, there was a Korean theatre in Kazakhstan about which Iosif Kim wrote a book.
Fourthly, a portion of the authors who were engaged in independent research of the history of Korea, the Korean language - for instance, Ge Bong U and others did not advertise their activity. The works of those authors did not become known to the public and were not published.
Fifthly, such Moscow scholars as Vadim Park, Roza Dzharylgasinova, Yudviga Ionova, Matvey Kim used Kazakhstan and Central Asian materials for their research.
Sixthly, in many books, brochures and other materials, especially in agriculture, Koreans were not mentioned even though these materials described the so-called Korean kolkhozes: "Дvangard", "Polar star", "Politotdel"etc.
And last but not least, until Stalin died Koreans had had well-founded fears and scholars preferred to study the history of the Communist Party or Marxist-Leninist philosophy or the Russian, German or English languages.
From the middle of the 1980s to the beginning of the 1990s, a kind of revolution took place in the regional Korean studies. This revolution was, however, not without certain drawbacks. For example, scholars in humanities with scientific degrees who devoted all their lives to the study of the class struggle or international significance of the activity of the Communist Party transformed into experts in history, culture and the language of the Kore Saram. The works of such authors are full of generally known facts, stereotypes, and in many cases emotions. It can be fairly stated that for many of these works subjectivity prevails over sober analysis based on an empirical foundation.
Since the end of the 1980s researchers and people of letters, such as writers, playwrights, poets and artists, who are taking great interest in the history and culture of the Kore Saram have become more and more active. During the last ten years more books and articles on Koreans were published than during the preceding fifty years. There are causes and explanations for this occurrence. Firstly, Gorbachovs democratization and glasnost opened the eyes of many scholars, provided access to secret archive documents and made it possible to publish books and pour out their emotions and facts in newspapers and magazines. Secondly, the productivity of the researchers met the demands of an unheard-of ethnic renaissance. This fed a wave of interest among all nationalities in their cultural roots. Thirdly, Korean cultural centers played a certain organizational role in the cause of studying the history of the diaspora. Fourthly, the government of the Republic of Korea, South Korean research centers, foundations, societies, associations and private persons stimulated the interest of the local researchers by sponsoring the discovery, copying and publishing of archive materials, publication of books, and invitations to language and scientific conferences in Seoul, as well as other international conferences and seminars.
Thus, Korean Studies in Kazakhstan and Central Asia in the Soviet period can be divided into four stages:
1. 1937-1953.After deportation till Stalins death - "dead" period.
2. 19563-1970.Starting period of Korean Studies.
3. 1970-1985. General stagnation period.
4. 1985- 1991. Short Gorbachovs era, a spark of interest in Korean history.
2. Korean Studies as Science in the Sovereign Kazakhstan and Central Asian Countries.
In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries acquired sovereignty. Changes were rapidly taking place in all spheres of life and gradually differences appeared between the once similar republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzia (May want to use Kyrgyzstan).
The results of the last ten years in the development of Korean Studies are as follows:
A). In a number of universities of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzia, Korean departments were opened. Specialists in Korean Studies were trained.
B). In Kazakhstan scientific groups were formed, which were financed by the state and oriented toward the study of the Korean diaspora.
C). Access to archive materials allowed the researchers to work with documents. A number of collections of archive documents were published.
D). Several candidate theses and one doctoral dissertation on Kore Saram were defended.
E). A lot of books on history of Koreans in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzia were published.
F). A number of international, regional and other scientific conferences were devoted to Kore Saram.
G). Korean cultural centers and some businessmen sponsor the publication of books and the organization of conferences.
H). The republic of Korea renders help; the embassy and Korean centers of Education play an important role.
I). South Korean businessmen and pastors of missionary churches render assistance in the development of Korean Studies: teaching Korean language, sponsorship of various activities.
J). Gradually the fear of reprisals are beginning to disappear and allowing authors to write freely; at present, they do not try to decorate the past but they do not openly criticize the present.
K). Generations are changing; scholars with Communist ideology are giving way to younger people free from ideological limitations.
L). The history of Koreans was reflected not only in the scientific but also in fiction, drama and works of art.
3. Korean Departments in Universities and Public Institutions.
At the end of 1980s and in the beginning of the 1990s, there was a kind of boom in learning the native language. Korean cultural centers and Korean missionary churches organized numerous courses in Korean. During this period, the Korean language was taught at universities, schools and kindergartens.
There are also two universities like in Tashkent- Bishkek Humanities University and Kyrgyz State University. The number of students is 250 people. Thus, the Korean language is taught as a specialty or as the second foreign language in more than 15 universities and institutes of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzia and the total number of students is nearly 1,000.
Reasons why young people enter Korean departments:
1. nationality
2. parents wish
3. possibility to go to Korea
4. possibility to get a good job after graduation
It should be noted that over time the wave of interest is becoming much smaller. The Korean language is losing its prestige as demonstrated by the fact that in the summer of 1999, the University of the World Languages invited school-leavers (??graduates or drop outs??) to study Korean but not one submitted documents or expressed a desire to become a student. The faculty of the Oriental Studies of the KazGNU had to limit the number of students wishing to learn Japanese but at the same time they found it quite difficult to form two groups of students to study Korean. We can expect further decreases in the number of those wishing to enter Korean departments. A lot depends on the development of the relations between Korea, Kazakhstan and the other Central Asian countries.
During the initial stage, either elder Kore saram or Koreans from Sakhalin or former North Koreans have been employed as teachers. With few exceptions, they all had higher philological education and experience in teaching.
A sharp increase in the number of Korean departments and students had its negative influence on the quality of teaching. Most of the teachers did not know the Korean language properly, had little practical experience in teaching, as well as insufficient methodological training. Lack of knowledge of methods of teaching Korean is also a typical feature of volunteers and teachers from the Republic of Korea; some of them do not have philological education.
Since 1999, a Korean studies department has existed in KazGNU named after al-Farabi. The teachers here not only teach Korean to their students but also give lectures and seminars, assist students in writing course and diploma papers on history, culture, the socio-political system, and the history of religion in Korea. Taking into account the governments intention to integrate science and higher education one can assume that in the near future the research activity in the sphere of Korean studies will shift to KazGNU. Thus we should concentrate (??) attention, finance and students and to attract highly qualified teachers and professors to the KazGNU - the oldest and biggest university in the country.
Training Korean language specialists takes place not only in Kazakhstan but also in Korea. About two dozen, young Kazakhstani Koreans attended six month and nine month courses in the Republic of Korea. More than a dozen scientists from Kazakhstan took long-term language courses and scientific training in the leading Korean universities.
The work of teachers from South Korea has the following drawbacks:
Firstly, among the volunteers sent by KOIKA, there are people who have neither the necessary education, nor the wish to teach the Korean language. In addition, they work only for one year. This short duration of employment enables the acquisition of only a superficial idea of what constitutes quality teaching.
Secondly, South Korean teachers cannot adapt themselves to the local system of control over students and teachers themselves (??). They are often late for their classes, change their time-table and classrooms, do not keep any documentation relating to their teaching activity, do not provide typical programs or follow lesson plans. For instance, during a five-year period of the activity within the Department of Korean Philology at KazGNU, when the head was Kim Pkhyl Yong, no documentation was kept at all.
Thirdly, the majority of the teachers from Korea do not know Russian, Kazakh or Uzbek well enough to explain Grammar to the students.
Fourthly, teachers from Korea, as a rule, do not know the methods of teaching Korean.
Fifthly, due to the lack of teachers in some institutions, Korean is taught either by pastors, their wives, or students from South Korea.
Thus, above all we need local teachers - graduates of Korean departments of our universities who know Korean very well and know the methods of teaching. Unfortunately, at present, knowledge of the Korean language leaves much to be desired.
One additional issue is directly connected with the problem of teachers. Quite often, following graduation, the best students of the Korean language start working in private companies or churches as interpreters or managers because the salary is much higher than that offered to university teachers.
Typical features of the academic plans of Korean departments:
1. Unstable, constant changes. For example, in Kazakhstani Korean studies had the following specialties: philology, oriental studies, regional studies, study of Korea. Term - 4 or 5 years.
2. Too many general humanities disciplines in the academic plan: philosophy, sociology, political economy, history of Kazakhstan, etc. Which are not directly connected with Korean studies.
3. The plans are usually made taking into account available teachers at the Korean departments. There are very few special courses and seminars, as there are no lecturers.
4. Two types of academic plans create certain problems as some groups specialize in regional studies and others in Oriental studies.
Nearly everywhere they use the textbook of Ensey University, as there are practically no alternatives.
The situation with textbooks on the history, culture and socio-economic system of Korea is even worse. Scientific literature about Korea is old-fashioned and books on Korea are difficult for students. The new Russian literature on Korea does not reach Central Asia.
Modern technologies in teaching and studying Korean (i.e. CD programs, Internet, video and audio) are rarely used.
The best equipped among Korean departments is the department of Korean studies of KazGNU. There are nine computers, four printers, two TV sets, two video-recorders, a Karaoke system, a photocopy machine, scanner, telephone and fax machines, Internet, library of 3 000 books, and three classrooms equipped with new furniture.
On the whole, Korean departments have all necessary books and equipment thanks to the help of governmental institutions of Korea and sponsorship of South Korean companies.
Many universities have formal agreements on cooperation with Korean universities, which in practice do not adequately function. For example, KazGNU signed agreements with seven Korean universities but only Chonnam University invited four students of the Korean department for one semester to Kwandzhu over the last four years.
Cooperation, to a large degree, depends on the personal relations and contacts of the leaders of local universities and Korean universities.
Very often, Korean universities are well aware of the formal character of the agreements signed and actually do not have any intention to cooperate. Some representatives of Korean universities use the signed protocols and agreements on cooperation for their own purposes (i.e. for self- advertisement).
4.Scientific Institutions and Societies of Korean Studies.
Scientific institutions specializing in research of Korean diaspora in Kazakhstan began in their work at the end of the 1980s. After the well-known events of December 1989, a Center for Study of National and International Relations was established in Almaty. The structure of the Center included a department on national diasporas where Candidate of Sciences Khan I.P., Candidate of Sciences Kim G.N. and scientific worker Lee A. worked. The center existed for three years and did not leave any noticeable trace in the history of Kazakhstan science.
Professor Ko Song Moo, who arrived from Helsinki in 1992, on behalf of the Association of Korean and Cross-cultural studies (Paris), intended to sign an agreement with the Academy of Sciences whereby a department of Korean Studies would be established. Unfortunately, this agreement was not realized. The Department of Korean Studies was set up in the Institute of Oriental Studies (transformed Center of Korean Studies) in 1996. Candidate of Sciences Kim G.N. was appointed the head of the department. During three years scientific workers including a number of Kazakhstani and South Korean people carried out serious work. Scientific monographs and books were prepared and published, the journal "Newsletter of Korean Studies in Kazakhstan" was published, several international conferences on Korean Studies were held. The department was recognized and received help from sponsors such as the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, "Korea Foundation," and "Korea Research Foundation." Contacts with different foreign scientific centers and universities were developing. A number of Doctoral students, post- graduate students from the republic of Korea, Japan and the USA were trained in the department However, because of the changes in the financing system of scientific projects in Kazakhstan, the topic "Actual Problems and Prospects of Korean diaspora" was closed and, by 1999, the department ceased to exist.
At present, the Center of Korean Studies is functioning as part of the department of Oriental Studies of KazGNU named after al-Farabi. A similar Center is planned at Almaty State University named after Abai. One can assume that other universities, where there is specialty in "Korean language and Literature" will try to set up similar establishments.
In other republics of Central Asia there are no such scientific departments, sectors, or centers of Korean studies at all.
In 1996, under the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, the Association of Korean researchers was established.
The world of Korean studies, as it is known, has been consolidated into two big international scientific organizations: the Association for Korean Studies in Europe (AKSE) and the Pacific Association of Korean Studies (PAKS). In this way, the scientists of the post-Soviet Central Asia, who are specializing in Korean studies, have been excluded from the geographical frameworks of Europe and the Pacific region. It is for this reason that the idea of setting up the Association for Korean studies in Central Asia and the Pacific region was born. However, once again, the right idea has got the wrong realization. The problem of coordination of Korean studies in Kazakhstan and Central Asia remains unsolved.
5. Preliminary conclusions.
The evidence presented above allows for the following conclusions. Firstly, Korean studies as a complex of scientific and academic disciplines is not fully developed and is going through a developmental stage in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. It is characterized by certain early-stage "illnesses" of the development and we are currently challenged by many problems relating to a lack of traditions and schools of Korean studies, professionals with education in Oriental studies and with a free command of the Korean language, as well as an insufficient material and financial base.
Secondly, prospects for Korean studies in Kazakhstan and Central Asia depend on external factors. The most prominent of these is the way the Republic of Korea, represented by governmental institutions and foundations will render assistance and how cooperation with foreign scientists and Korean scientific centers and universities will develop.
Thirdly, at present, lots of tiny Korean departments in different universities and colleges are leading to lower quality and prestige of education in Korean studies, scattering of specialists and funds, weak coordination and cooperation. In the future, there should be two or three really strong departments, which should specialize either in the language and philology or in area studies.
Fourthly, Korean studies as a complex of scientific disciplines has focused on a rather limited topic, the Korean diaspora. On the one hand, this topic is quite logical but on the other hand, demands that we find a way out of such limited frameworks.
In my opinion, it is necessary to concentrate forces, specialists and funds in one place and to strive to create one really strong scientific institution for Korean studies. After this task is accomplished, cooperation with scientific centers of Russia, Korea and Uzbekistan should be developed.
Prof. Dr. Kim German Nikolaevitch, Head of the Department of Korean Studies Faculty of Oriental Studies Kazakh National University named after al-Farabi. Republic of Kazakhstan Almaty,480012, Imanova str.61a, Room 200;
Phone/fax: 3272-621345, mobile: 8300-7551494
e-mail: ger_art@astel.kz; kazgugnk@yahoo.com
http://www.koryosaram.freenet.kz