Han Seung-soo, the Prime Minister of South Korea, announced on October 9 that the government plans to increase the number of Korean language corpora from the current 174 to 340 by 2030, enabling artificial intelligence (AI) to read and understand Hangul more accurately.
Speaking at the 580th Hangul Day celebration held at the Sejong Center in Jongno, Seoul, Han stated, "The value and competitiveness of language that connects people and AI are becoming increasingly important."
He emphasized that "Hangul is the only script in the world that records not only its creators and the time of its creation but also the principles behind its invention," and assured that the government would actively support the value of Hangul to shine even brighter in the era of advanced technology.
The government aims to enhance the Korean language corpora used for AI learning to connect the nation's knowledge and culture to the world and boost the competitiveness of the Korean language. Corpora are large, systematically collected datasets used for language research and AI training.
Han also outlined plans to expand educational infrastructure to meet the growing global demand for Korean language learning. The number of Sejong Institutes, which teach Korean around the world, will increase from the current 273 to over 350 by 2030, and the number of countries offering Korean language courses in regular educational institutions will rise from 51 to more than 70.
The Sejong Institute started in 2007 with 13 locations and has grown to 273 this year. Last year, approximately 240,000 people learned Korean at Sejong Institutes, while about 230,000 studied at local schools abroad.
Han noted, "People around the world are not only enjoying Korean culture but are also advancing to learn the Korean language," adding that the spirit of King Sejong is spreading globally, allowing people to gain knowledge and experience Korean culture more deeply through Hangul.
The government will also strengthen support for the translation of Korean literature abroad. Han referenced the Nobel Prize win of author Han Kang two years ago and stated that efforts would be made to systematically train translation personnel and expand support for translation and publishing.
Efforts to refine foreign words and polish the Korean language will continue. Han remarked, "We must consistently work to purify foreign words and refine our language so that citizens can use easier and more beautiful Korean in their daily lives."
He highlighted that this year marks the 580th anniversary of the proclamation of Hunminjeongeum, as well as the 100th anniversary of the establishment of 'Gagya Day' in 1926, aimed at preserving the Korean language and script during the Japanese colonial period.
Han stated, "When the Japanese attempted to take away our language and script, the research and compilation of dictionaries by scholars of the Korean Language Society was, in itself, an act of independence," honoring the dictionary compilation efforts of scholars Yi Yun-jae and Han Jing.
He concluded by noting that after liberation, the easy-to-learn Hangul quickly improved the literacy of the populace and supported industrialization and democratization, promising that the government would do its utmost to ensure that Hangul continues to be loved by more people worldwide and retains its value in the AI era in the coming century.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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