Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Would Seoul adopt English as a second language?
Would the population of the city support English as a second language?
Is it practical?
Is it practically impossible?

South Korea needs to improve the English skills of its population to become a next business hub in Asia, McKinsey & Company said in its report.

Comparing Seoul to Singapore and Beijing, Dominic Barton, a representative of the globally respected consulting firm, said Seoul has a relatively weak base of English-speaking people and it will be a key hurdle in developing into a regional hub.

"English is an official language in Singapore and this has tremendously helped the city emerge as a center of finance for the surrounding areas," Barton said, adding Beijing is also concentrating efforts on developing its English-language capabilities.

He made the remarks during a report to Seoul City officials about the results of a survey on Seoul's potential for becoming a financial hub in Asia at City Hall in downtown Seoul. The report shows that Seoul ranks third with Beijing in terms of conditions to become a regional hub. Hong Kong and Singapore placed first, while Tokyo and Shanghai were in a secondary group. The fourth group includes Taiwan and Sydney.

A restrictive legal and regulatory system, volatile currency and capital markets, and poor English-language skills are main hurdles for Seoul to overcome in becoming a financial hub in Asia, he said. "Setting up a globally competitive tax structure and legal mechanism" are one of the primary steps for Seoul to take, Barton said.


http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200307/kt2003072318233810160.htm

[kimcheeking]

Singapore has a history of English, it was a colony and is is considered an outer circle English speaking country while Korea has never been a colony of an English speaking country and is considered an expanding circle country. It is unlikely that Korea would adopt English as an official language, and if they did it probably would not be succesful.

inner-circle (native speakers English traditionally from England, U.S. Canada, Australia, New Zealand)

Outer-circle (English is an official language, but most speakers are not native - country has history of colonialism, examples include india, singapore, Hong Kong, Nigeria,)

Expanding-circle (countries without a history of day to day use of English in any form, some are stronger than others, but generally English is rarely used outside of the workplace)

[Trinny]

I am not sure if Seoul falls into the category of expanding circle. I met a lot of people speak fluent English in Seoul last time. Can somebody clarify on that?

[Real Reality]

Another quote from the same article (Seoul Should Adopt English as 2nd Language: McKinsey):

To transform Seoul into a next regional financial hub, Barton recommended the government aggressively promote widespread use of English and try to improve quality of life for foreigners to set up an environment where foreigners are treated equally in business.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200307/kt2003072318233810160.htm

[BTM]

Wasn't there a drive a couple of years back to make English a second official language here?

Heh. That little plan was doomed from the outset.

[FierceInvalid]

I don't think making English an official second language would have any real effect. The older generation aren't all of sudden going to pick up English just because this happens, and the younger generation are all already studying it as intensively as they can anyway. It's just going to take time. Besides, I thought it was Cheju they were talking about turning into a "hub"? Or are they shooting for two?

Trinny: There are definitely more fluent English speakers in Seoul than there are in other parts of the country, but it's still a very small percentage of the population.

[weatherman]

No, think it would be a really bad idea. Korea needs to promote and brand its own culture if it really want to be a big player. This world doesn't need another Hong-kong or Singapore. I also I think with all the cultural nationalistic, facist, jerk around going around thesedays, it is only a ploy to try to get investment. Koreans think the pie is only so big, so if they do the damnest things trying to get some piece of it. When really the economy is always creating new pie. Koreans don't go after new pie, they go after pie that others have, and usually get it, but the problem is that the new pie created is better than the old pie they went after and then they want the new pie. It is a sick cycle. Koreans need to make their own pies.

[kimcheeking]

[Yaya]

Seoul may not have to adopt English as a second official language. The proposed city of New Incheon (Shin Incheon) may eliminate that need. The project is to develop a new city geared for foreigners and to have the city's official language as English.

[katydid]

[crazylemongirl]

[Yaya]

Okay, the name isn't Shin Incheon (guess my friend wasn't correct) but a nearby area to Incheon is slated for massive development as a special economic region.

http://srch.chosun.com/cgi-bin/english/search?did=58958&OP=5&word=SONGDO%20&name=english/Business&dtc=20030502&url=http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200305/200305020019.html&title=Benefit%20Overhaul%20Seen%20for%20Trade%20Zones