"English followed by Korean"... Korean ranks 2nd in Japanese language learning book sales

Examinees are waiting to take the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) at Taisho University in Tokyo, Japan, on the 10th./ Photo by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan

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[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Wada Yoshihiro, who works at the Japanese publishing company 'J Research,' explained the interest in Korean language learning based on the Korean Wave in Japan at the '1st TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) Forum' held on the 16th at Rikkyo University in Tokyo.

"Among language learning books sold at major well-known bookstores in Japan, the proportion of Korean language books is about 12%, ranking second in the Japanese language market, which is heavily focused on English."

He stated, "Among the top 200 language books sold at famous bookstores, 24 are Korean language books," adding, "Korean is gaining attention in the language market right after English."

The forum, hosted by the Korea Education Foundation, was held with the purpose of linking the enthusiasm for Korean language learning in Japan to the activation of the TOPIK.

According to the foundation, the number of test takers for TOPIK in Japan, which was only 1,500 when it was first administered in 1996, exceeded 41,000 last year, increasing 27-fold. However, many evaluations say that the number of test takers is still small compared to the high interest in learning Korean.

Wada of J Research pointed out that there are only five language books titled after the TOPIK, which is insufficient, saying, "This is because the test questions are not disclosed."

As the Korean Wave began gaining popularity in Japan, the popularity of the Korean language has steadily increased. Most learners are women in their 20s, but the number of male learners is also on the rise compared to before. Beginner learners are evenly distributed from teenagers to those in their 60s regardless of age, but as the level advances to intermediate and advanced, learners in their 20s are more prevalent.

Tanaka Mitsuharu of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology noted the relatively low rate of actual TOPIK test takers compared to the number of Korean language learners and advised, "Efforts are needed to lower the various barriers that make it difficult to access the test."

Yang Hoseok, Education Attach? at the Korean Embassy in Japan, stated, "To enhance the brand value of TOPIK and increase communication with companies and educational sites, we will regularize the TOPIK forum jointly with authoritative educational research institutions or expert groups."

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