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Oxford University to open center for Korean studies

Published: 25 Apr. 2026, 12:53

From left: Jieun Kiaer, James Lewis and Chi Young-hae of Oxford University's Korean studies program pose for a photograph after the university's approval of the establishment of the Oxford Centre for Korean Studies in March, in this photo provided by the university on April 25. [YONHAP]

Oxford University plans to launch a center for Korean studies as early as October to boost research on Korean culture, language and history, professors leading the project have said.

The university will announce the establishment of the Oxford Centre for Korean Studies during the official public opening of Oxford's Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities on Saturday.

The center's establishment, led by Jieun Kiaer, James Lewis and Chi Young-hae of the university's Korean studies program, received final approval from a faculty meeting last month.

The center will oversee Korea-related research and lectures and promote further research into modern Korean politics, economy and literature.

It marks the latest addition of such a center at the university, following the establishment of centers on Japanese and Chinese studies in 1981 and 2008, respectively.

Lewis, a professor of Korean history, told Yonhap News Agency that Europe as a whole will likely be inspired by the envisioned center's long-term research.

Another senior faculty meeting last month decided on the need for a Korean studies center, noting the importance of Korea as a subject of research and student interest in the country's soft power, especially its popular culture.

Kiaer, a professor of Korean linguistics, noted the importance of English-language scholarship on Korean culture for its longevity, saying the center will serve as a hub for such research.

Yonhap