On May 15, in honor of King Sejong’s birthday and Teacher’s Day, VANK initiated a global campaign calling for the establishment of a “Korean Language Day” at the United Nations.
International observances dedicated to the languages of the world, such as the UN’s “Language Days,” celebrate linguistic diversity and cultural heritage, while promoting equitable use of all official languages within the organization. Notably, the UN has established days for major languages, including Chinese, English, Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic.
VANK, amid the global Korean Wave, which includes K-pop, Korean films, dramas, and other cultural exports, raises the question: “Why is there no Korean Language Day?” With the global number of Korean Wave fans surpassing 178 million in 2022, VANK is launching an online campaign to address this issue.
For context, April 20 marks “Chinese Language Day,” celebrated by the UN to honor the ancient mythical figure, Cangjie, believed to have invented Chinese characters. According to the UN, Language Days are designed to “celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity” and to promote the fair use of all official languages within the organization. This initiative also aims to raise awareness of the “history, culture, and achievements” of each language.
Alongside Chinese Language Day on April 20, April 23 is designated as both English and Spanish Language Days. VANK argues that if there can be days dedicated to Chinese, English, Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic, then it is crucial for Korean to have its own day as well.
The apparent reason for the absence of a Korean Language Day at the UN is that Korean is not one of the official languages of the UN. Currently, the six official languages of the UN are English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic, with the designation of these languages decided through votes by member countries in the General Assembly.
Japan has actively pursued the inclusion of Japanese as an official UN language since the 1980s, and India attempted to include Hindi as an official language in 2018 but was unsuccessful.
A “Korean Language Day” at the UN would provide a significant opportunity to motivate young people worldwide to learn Korean, raise the global status of the Korean language, and strengthen the foundation for its continued prosperity. Moreover, the UN’s decision to reclassify South Korea as a “developed nation” in July 2021 could serve as a favorable backdrop for the establishment of Korean Language Day and its inclusion as an official UN language.
In January 2021, China succeeded in making Chinese one of the official languages of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), adding it to the list of six official languages alongside Arabic, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
Given China’s success in establishing Chinese Language Day and securing Chinese as a UN official language, VANK argues that South Korea, too, has the potential to establish a “Korean Language Day” at the UN and advocate for Korean to be included among the official languages.
VANK believes that now is the time to achieve this recognition, especially with the growing global influence of the Korean Wave, which includes 170 million K-pop fans, 100 million Taekwondo practitioners, and 75 million overseas Koreans. In support of this goal, VANK has launched a global petition titled “Why Is There No Korean Language Day?”. The petition includes the statement, “Given the rising interest in the Korean language due to the Korean Wave, a dedicated day for the Korean language would provide an important opportunity for people worldwide to appreciate its historical and cultural significance.”
As part of its efforts, VANK is distributing digital posters in both Korean and English to raise awareness and foster global support. Through this petition, VANK aims to shape public opinion internationally and encourage the South Korean government to establish policies that will lead to the establishment of Korean Language Day at the UN.