K-Academic Diffusion Activities
K-Academic Diffusion Activities
Beyond K-MOOC: Korean Studies Expands into New Zealand Classrooms
- Created 2026.10.27
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Beyond K-MOOC: Korean Studies Expands into New Zealand Classrooms
Dr. Han Jong-woo, a featured expert in an Inha University K-MOOC course, helps bring the Korean War and South Korea’s postwar development into New Zealand’s history curriculum.
Dr. Han Jong-woo, Chairman of the Korean War Legacy Foundation and a featured expert in the K-MOOC course The Revolutionary Transformation of U.S.–Korea Relations and Issues on the Korean Peninsula, developed by the K-Academic Diffusion Research Center at the Inha Center for International Studies, has contributed to a significant milestone in bringing Korean history and South Korea’s development experience to classrooms overseas.
According to Yonhap News Agency, New Zealand’s Ministry of Education has formally included “The Korean War and Postwar Recovery (1945–1988)” as an optional topic in its revised Year 11 history curriculum for the first time. Scheduled to take effect in February 2028, the new curriculum could offer up to 15,000 students annually across approximately 550 secondary schools the opportunity to study the Korean War and South Korea’s postwar transformation. Actual uptake will depend on individual schools and teachers.
The development follows sustained efforts by the Korean War Legacy Foundation, with support from South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, to collaborate with the New Zealand History Teachers’ Association on educational resources and teacher training. Together, the organizations produced a 180-page teaching resource, New Zealanders in the Korean War, and facilitated exchanges at international teachers’ conferences to deepen understanding of the conflict and South Korea’s subsequent development. These initiatives helped strengthen local educators’ engagement with Korean history and supported its inclusion in the revised curriculum.
The K-Academic Diffusion Research Center at the Inha Center for International Studies featured Han’s expertise and experience in its K-MOOC course to broaden understanding of U.S.–Korea relations and issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula. His contribution to New Zealand’s history education illustrates how the work of experts involved in the Center’s educational programs can extend beyond online learning and reach international classrooms, highlighting the broader potential of its academic and professional networks.
The K-Academic Diffusion Research Center will continue to develop Korean Studies educational content in collaboration with scholars and experts in Korea and abroad, while strengthening connections with educational institutions and communities worldwide.
Related coverage: Yonhap News Agency