The K-Academic Expansion Research Center (Director: Jean-Young Lee) at the Institute of International Relations, Inha University, visited the United Kingdom and France from June 6 to 17 to discuss academic and educational cooperation for the promotion of Korean Studies with leading Korean Studies scholars, government-affiliated institutions, and universities in both countries.

The visit aimed to examine the current state of Korean Studies education in Europe, explore opportunities to expand the K-Academic Expansion Project throughout the region, strengthen partnerships for the next phase of the Plus Project, and enhance the international network of the academic journal Pacific Focus. In particular, as 2026 marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, the visit served as a meaningful opportunity to further reinforce cooperation with major educational and cultural institutions in France.

During the UK visit, the delegation first met with Professor Emeritus Jae-Hoon Yeon at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. As one of Europe's leading hubs for Korean Studies, SOAS was identified as a strategic partner for establishing a long-term cooperation channel. Discussions focused on developing strategies to disseminate K-Academic educational content tailored to the characteristics of the European region. The delegation also introduced the international academic journal Pacific Focus to distinguished local scholars and discussed ways to encourage future manuscript submissions.

The delegation then visited the Korean Cultural Centre UK, where they met with Director Hyogeon Park and Administrative Support Team Leader Byungheon Noh. The meeting explored the development of a hybrid cooperation model that combines online educational content with offline institutional infrastructure, enabling the growing public interest in Korean popular culture to be effectively connected with university curricula and professional Korean Studies programs.

The delegation also visited the Korean Education Centre in the UK and met with Director Sungwon Jeon to discuss practical educational cooperation. Both sides agreed to establish a system through which the Center's K-MOOC lectures on Korean politics, diplomacy, and public diplomacy, along with its digital textbooks (e-books), would be made available and promoted through the Education Centre's official website.

In connection with the introduction of Korea-related topics into the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) for UK A-level students, the two institutions also discussed enabling students to use the Center's English-language textbooks as reference materials when preparing their research papers. In addition, they explored various avenues of cooperation to foster the next generation of Korean Studies scholars, including providing pre-arrival learning materials for Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) recipients, sharing academic resources with Korean language schools, and cooperating on educational facilities and institutional support.

The visit to France, which carried added significance as 2026 marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, included a meeting with Jiyoung Woo, Education Program and Sports Officer at the Korean Cultural Center in France.

During the meeting, the delegation discussed strategies for expanding the Center's initiatives beyond the current English-speaking focus by establishing a strategic foothold within the French-speaking academic network. To address the concentration of Korean Studies resources in major metropolitan areas, the two sides also explored practical measures to distribute the Center's online courses as supplementary teaching materials to promising regional universities where demand for Korean Studies is high despite limited educational infrastructure.

In addition, the participants discussed ways to promote Pacific Focus through academic networks across France, thereby broadening the journal's contributor base and strengthening collaboration with Korean Studies scholars throughout Europe.

The delegation then met with Professor Heeyeon Kim of the Department of Korean Studies at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris to gain a comprehensive understanding of practical pathways for expanding Korean Studies in France.

The discussion reviewed the current landscape of Korean Studies in France, where institutions such as INALCO, Université Paris Cité, and Université Paris Nanterre continue to play leading roles in Korean Studies by integrating social sciences, research, and language education. The meeting also highlighted the growing prominence of regional universities, including the University of Lyon, Aix-Marseille University, and the University of Bordeaux.

The participants noted that Korean Studies in France has recently experienced rapid diversification, driven by the global spread of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) and commemorative events marking the 140th anniversary of Korea–France diplomatic relations. As a result, demand for Korean language and culture has expanded beyond universities to private language institutes, King Sejong Institutes, and adult programs at Korean language schools.

In response to these developments, the Center discussed ways to identify practical educational settings where its high-quality online K-Academic content could be effectively utilized, including as supplementary teaching materials for advanced undergraduate seminars, graduate-level courses, and specialized translation and interpretation programs.

The meeting also explored opportunities to expand public interest in Korean popular culture and language into sustained academic engagement by launching joint public diplomacy research with the local Asian Regional Migration Studies Group, which includes French-based scholars, while developing complementary offline participatory programs—such as Korean traditional dance workshops—to foster a more sustainable and diversified network for the promotion of Korean Studies in France.

Finally, the delegation visited the Department of Korean Studies at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, where they met with Professor Minsook Lee and Korean Language Instructor Ayoung Lim to introduce the K-Academic Expansion Project and discuss future opportunities for academic and educational cooperation.

Since its establishment by Professor Minsook Lee in 2012, the Department of Korean Studies at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 has experienced remarkable growth and has become one of France's leading institutions for Korean Studies. In addition to Korean language education, the department offers curricula designed to strengthen students' practical competencies in fields such as international relations, business, and management, while also providing English-language education to enhance graduates' competitiveness in the global job market.

During the meeting, the representatives of Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 expressed the view that the Center's K-Academic educational content could be effectively introduced and disseminated not only through university programs but also to external educational institutions and learner groups, including diplomatic training programs, Korean language institutes, and Korean language schools.

The discussion also highlighted the long-standing academic partnership between Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 and Inha University, which has maintained an active student exchange program for many years. In particular, the two universities have continued discussions on expanding opportunities for Lyon 3 students to enroll in English-taught courses at Inha University and to participate in intensive Korean language programs.

Both sides agreed that it would be desirable to begin by strengthening academic exchanges through seminars, colloquia, and academic conferences, while identifying areas of mutual interest and gradually expanding the scope of future collaboration.

The visits to major institutions in the United Kingdom and France provided a valuable opportunity to assess the current landscape of Korean Studies education across Europe while identifying diverse pathways for expanding the K-Academic Expansion Project throughout the region. Furthermore, in conjunction with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, the visits laid a meaningful foundation for fostering sustainable international academic cooperation and cultivating a self-sustaining ecosystem for Korean Studies research in Europe.