Going the Hallyu way: Why more Mumbaikars are learning Korean

ldquoThe urge to learn Korean definitely started with my obsession over Kdrama and Kmusic Now I want to eventually move to Korea and live thererdquo says 25yearold Rasya Menon from Mumbai who started learning Hangul the Korean alphabet during theCovid19 lockdown in 2021 She has watched over 30 Kdramas including lsquoCrash Landing on Yoursquo lsquoWhatrsquos Wrong with Secretary Kimrsquo lsquoReply 1988rsquo and lsquoItrsquos Okay to Not Be Okayrsquo She is also a huge Black Pink BTS EXO TXT and Hwasa fanldquoLearning Hangul wasnt just about learning a new language It was about connecting deeper with the culture and music and everything they have to offerrdquo says MenonMenon is one of the many Korean entertainment lovers and buffs from Mumbai who have signed up to learn spoken and written Korean language online Needless to say the impact of this lsquoKorean waversquo is not just about fandom and entertainment but also about exploring the language making efforts to understand the culture and trying to find similarities and connections with a fellow Asian nationA recent report by DuoLingo a renowned language learning app revealed that Korean is now among the languages most popular with the millennials and GenZ in India between the ages of 17 and 25 While Indians are still taking up traditionally dominant languages such as French Spanish and German Korean is gradually gaining ground tooResearcher Satish Satyarthi who has been a Korean language educator for over 10 years and founded lsquoLearn Koreanrsquo in India says ldquoAs a foreign language educator I can say that currently Korean is one of the most popular and indemand languages in India A huge percentage of the viewers of our Korean language content on YouTube Instagram and our website are from Maharashtra and in particular from Mumbai We have students from all age groups but the majority of learners are in the age group of 1624rdquoIt all starts with a Kentertainment for manyBands like BTS Black Pink TXT EXO Enhypen among others have been taking over the playlists of Mumbaikars So much so that for Reena Solanki a dancer and choreographer it was Kpop that led her to KdramasldquoBeing a dancer Kpop dance routines drew my fascination I was drawn towards their culture their dedication respectfulness teamwork and discipline I admire how well they are groomed to reach higher heights So I knew I wanted to learn this language to know more and explore my abilitiesrdquo says SolankiFor Bhavna Agarwal a citybased entertainment journalist and diehard BTS fan learning the language does not just end at understanding the lyrics or dialogues better but it is about a far bigger ambitionldquoAnother major reason to take up the Korean language course is I want to be able to understand it well the day I interview BTSrdquo says Agarwal quickly recommending a few BTS songs to listen to such as lsquoBlack Swanrsquo and lsquoNot TodayrsquoReena Solanki shares a picture of her notes from the language course Image credit Reena SolankiKentertainment have helped Menon Agarwal and Solanki pick simple Korean words and phrases like lsquoshincharsquo really anyeo hello lsquonaersquo yes lsquohwaitingrsquo you can do it and lsquoanayarsquo No which they frequently use in conversations with friends and family While lsquosaranghaersquo I love you is Agarwalrsquos favourite phrase itrsquos lsquoyeolsimhi hagessseubnidarsquo I will do my best for SolankildquoNow even they friends and family have started to reply with a few Korean words they hear from me Itrsquos actually fun to see them use it I would love to start teaching someday in the near futurerdquo says SolankiIn addition to Korean entertainment Satyarthi notes continuous efforts by Korean government organisations like the Korean Tourism Organisation and Korean embassies have also encouraged the promotion of Korean culture including music beauty food and language through various contests and events in collaboration with clubs and culture centres in IndiaFinding the right courseIn India there are only a few wellestablished institutes and universities that provide fulltime Korean language courses such as the Jawaharlal University Delhi University and Manipur University There are short term courses provided by INKO Centre in Chennai and King Sejong Institute in PuneUnfortunately there are no such options available in Mumbai But this has not discouraged Mumbaikars From searching for online courses following Korean immigrants on social media and registering for virtual courses to resorting to selflearning via applications the struggle is real for themAgarwal who found refuge in DuoLingo after exhausting all options says ldquoTo start with they concentrate on the basics and I find myself understanding a few words But because there is no interaction in the language you donrsquot know if you are using the word in its correct form or grammar I donrsquot feel confident enough to speak in the language despite having learnt itrdquo According to Satyarthi selflearning apps are helpful but can be quite challenging as most of the time the content on selflearning apps is designed keeping western learners in mindAfter a failed attempt at learning Hangul from an acquaintance who was a Korean resident for seven years Menon shifted to YouTube for understanding KPop lyrics and learning the alphabet From YouTube she went on to buy a course on Udemy and later registered for an online beginnerrsquos course provided by the Korean Culture Centre in DelhildquoOnline courses are great but with a new language its necessary to have offline classes Pronunciations in Hangul are hard and complicated So I took up the KCCI course where we used to have Zoom classes with a teacher I learnt all my basics there I plan to continue my Udemy classes but will also soon join the next level of the course in KCCIrdquo says MenonWhen asked about the dearth of Korean language classes in Mumbai Satyarthi says ldquoHonestly I also find it strange that the Korean government hasnrsquot paid the required attention to the increasing number of Korea fans in Mumbai Hopefully in future we could see more courses and opportunities for people in MumbairdquoldquoThe market has been slow in response to the ever increasing demand In fact there are no places to learn Korean in many cities across the country Over the years we have received a large number of requests from Mumbai to start an online course We have native Korean faculty sitting in Seoul doing speaking practice with our students sitting in Mumbai Amritsar and Imphalrdquo adds SatyarthiItrsquos not just about the fandomldquoPeople are interested not only in Korean entertainment but in Korean food beauty products its culture and economic growth People have started recognising the importance of taking Korean as foreign language for future career prospectsrdquo says SatyarthiBhavna Agarwal revising Hangul alphabets online Reena Solanki doing the Korean finger heart sign symbol of love Image credit Agarwal and SolankiRecently the government of India added Korean to the foreign language curriculum under the New Education Policy Additionally a number of universities in north and eastern India are providing short term Korean language courses With this there is a greater demand for teachers translators and language experts Along with cultural impact with big small and mediumsized Korean brands investing in India and vice versa the trade and economic relations have also provided impetus to Korean language learning in IndiaAccording to Satyarthi students who take up the language purely due to Kentertainment gradually develop a deeper interest wanting to explore the language professionally While many prepare for TOPIK Test of Proficiency in Korea to go for higher studies in Korea some believe adding Korean to their resume will help in career advancementsldquoIndia which is popular for its great human resource potential in the services and outsourcing industry becomes the obvious choice for global giants to hire language experts No matter whether one wants to become a Korean language expert or wants to use it as an added skill the opportunities are immenserdquo says SatyarthiWith Menon wishing to move to Korea eventually Solanki wanting to run her own Korean club in Mumbai and Agarwal aspiring to interview BTS as an entertainment journalist one can tell that the admiration for Korean culture of which language becomes the key cannot be dismissed as mere lsquofandomrsquo and lsquotemporary crazersquoYou can read the first part our Korean culture series hereKfood The Kdrama craze is making more Mumbaikars cook and eat Korean dishes