Students raise their hands to answer questions during orientation for the Sookmyung-Minerva Exchange Program held on Jan. 13, 2025. Sookmyung Women’s University launched the Hallyu International College exclusively for international students in the first semester of 2026. [SOOKMYUNG WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY]
While many Korean universities are introducing tech- and semiconductor-focused majors in response to the rapid growth of related industries, others are taking a different approach by emphasizing culture, language and sports.
A new department centered on Hallyu (the Korean Wave) has been established as part of broader efforts to further globalize Korean culture, while a graduate school dedicated to Korean literature translation is set to open.
To help prospective students stay informed about these emerging niche programs, the Korea JoongAng Daily has compiled a list of academic programs that were recently introduced and are confirmed to open next year.
A press conference for the launch of the establishment committee for the Literature Translation Institute of Korea’s first graduate school takes place at Fraser Place Namdaemun in Jung District, central Seoul, on April 28. [YONHAP]
Graduate school run by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea
The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), which has offered nondegree translation education programs since 2008, is set to open its inaugural graduate school dedicated to master’s programs in literary translation.
Set to launch in September 2027, the graduate school aims to train translators specializing in Korean literature and cultural content across seven majors — English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Spanish and Russian — and plans to admit 60 students in its inaugural class, with half of the spots reserved for international students.
According to the institution, the new graduate school will distinguish itself from other interpretation and translation graduate schools focused on practical fields by concentrating on Korean literature and cultural content and translating from Korean into foreign languages.
Through the new master’s program, students will first take theory-based courses, such as introductions to Korean literature, cultural content and literature understanding and Korean society. They will then move on to practice-oriented courses, including literary translation, arts and culture translation workshops and creative writing.
According to LTI Korea, one of the main goals of the new graduate school is to strengthen the role of overseas students in the literary translation field as Korean works gain global traction.
“For Korean literature to resonate more deeply with global readers, there must be foreign professionals who have mastered the Korean language,” said Hwang Sok-yong, a novelist whose work "Mater 2-10" was short-listed for the 2024 International Booker Prize and who also serves on the establishment committee. “I hope the graduate school of literary translation will encourage more in-depth studies of the Korean language and Korean literature overseas.”
The student selection process is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2027, according to the institute. The graduate school is expected to use the institute’s building in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, as its campus.
International students at Sookmyung Women's University's Division of Global Convergence sit in the Global Capability Strategy course held on March 12, 2025. [PARK SANG-MOON]
Sookmyung Women’s University’s Hallyu International College
Sookmyung Women’s University launched the Hallyu International College exclusively for international students in the first semester of this year.
The department comprises two divisions: the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, which focuses on international business, and the Division of Hallyu Studies, which specializes in Korean culture.
According to the university, the Division of Hallyu Studies offers education focused on the Korean Wave, covering K-pop, K-beauty, the Korean culinary arts and other forms of cultural content.
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