What is behind the craze of learning the Korean language in India?
The craze of learning the Korean language in India is the desire to connect with one of the world's most advanced and beautiful countries. Korean is the fastest-booming language among Indians, as reported by Duolingo (a famous language learning application) after surveying around 1,000 Indians. Without a surprise, it is also the 5th most-famous language in India.
Striking South Korean Culture – Connecting the Two Nations
Korea has progressed in leaps and bounds since its independence in 1945, becoming one of the highest-ranked countries on the Human Development Index. Korean pop culture has been a huge phenomenon in India since the early 2000s, and due to Korea’s fascination with distinct types of things, K-pop has only grown stronger as time goes on.
Still, what are the reasons behind this new language craze in India?
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Reasons behind the craze of learning the Korean language in India:
1) The popularity of K- pop culture among Indian Millennials and Gen-Z
Korean music, television dramas, and movies have become big hits in India. The biggest reason behind this is the rising popularity of K- pop culture among the young generation. The youth in India are attracted to Korean culture and want to learn Korean to enjoy their favorite shows, movies, and songs in Korean. The craze is increasing at a massive speed, you can see Indian millennials dancing and lip-syncing all the K-songs on various social media, making K-communities, and sharing their thoughts, and love with like-minded people.
2) The influence of Korean dramas and movies
The second reason is the influence of Korean dramas and movies on Indian culture at large. Indians have a newly found, mad love for K-drams and movies. Learning Korean helps them better connect with their favorite celebrities because it makes them feel closer to them. Millennials are following the drama dialogues, looking forward to sweet romance stories, and seeing different types of romance culture through K-entertainment.
Interesting Fact: The viewership for K-dramas on Netflix, India, augmented by 370% in 2020 compared to 2019.
3) The influence of K-Pop
Korean pop music has been very popular in India, influencing many Indians to learn Korean. This is because the lyrics of K-pop songs are in Korean, and by learning Korean, they will be able to understand them and enjoy their music more effectively.
Interesting Fact: In a recent survey, conducted by Spotify India, it was been reported that in 2020, 22% of listeners of K-pop were from India among all of Spotify's global markets (which is the highest percentage of listeners across the globe).
4) The influence of Korean Fashion and Beauty Products
Photo: Anushka Sen Instagram
The influence of Korean fashion and beauty products has played a critical role in boosting the popularity of Korean culture among Indians. Many Indian celebrities/influencers have been spotted wearing designer Korean clothes and makeup products at various events. This has increased the desire among Indian youth to learn more about this language which can help them understand what it takes to look good.
Interesting Fact: As per a global survey conducted in the year 2019 on the popularity of South Korean Beauty products, it was observed that 42.2 % of Indian respondents approved that K-beauty is enormously famed in their country.
5) The influence of Korean food
The popularity of Korean food in India has also contributed to the growing interest in the Korean language. Many Indians love eating Korean food, but they don't know how to read or speak Korean, making it difficult for them to order at restaurants or ask questions about ingredients on menus, etc.
Photo by Edanur Ağaç on Unsplash
Interesting Fact: As reported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India, a dramatic surge in demand for Korean food has been recorded post-2020 lockdown, with just Korean noodles securing growth of 178 % per volume in 2021.
Conclusion
It is clear that the popularity of the Korean language in India has much to do with the appeal of Korean culture, dramas and movies, and K-pop. The young people of India are fascinated by all things that the Koreans do, and they want to learn more about their language and culture.
By Rashmi Kotian