Key Facts
• November 13: South Korea held its national university entrance exam, ‘Suneung’.
• Police escorted students to test centers; flights were halted during listening tests.
• Japanese language test takers increased over 4x since 2019, now the top second language.
• Japanese and Korean share similar grammar, making Japanese easier to learn.
• Improved Japan-South Korea relations boosted mutual goodwill among youth.
• 2024: 56,000 South Koreans study Japanese, ranking 3rd globally for Japanese learners.
• Myanmar saw a 5x increase in Japanese learners from 2021 to 2024.
• Globally, 400 million people study Japanese, with China leading at 1.02 million.
• Experts cite Japan’s safety, scholarships, and work opportunities as key attractions.
Summary
South Korea’s national university entrance exam, ‘Suneung,’ held on November 13, highlighted a significant rise in Japanese language test takers. Numbers have surged over fourfold since 2019, making Japanese the most popular second language choice. Experts attribute this trend to improved Japan-South Korea relations and the linguistic similarities between the two languages. Globally, 400 million people study Japanese, with South Korea ranking third. Myanmar also experienced a fivefold increase in Japanese learners over three years, driven by Japan’s safety, scholarships, and work opportunities. This growing interest in Japanese reflects a positive shift in cultural and educational exchanges between nations.
