Koreas Germanistik in der Krise

Abstract

This article deals with the history of the German linguistics and literature in Korea chronologically over the past fifty years. The history began in 1946, when the German literature department was established in Korean universities for the first time. It is divided into four periods; the period of the beginning (1946–1960), the period of growing (1961–1979), the period of development and expansion (1980–1995), and the period of a new approach (since 1995). The educational reform of the new government in 1980 widened the gate of the university entrance, and simultaneously increased the number of German literature departments in Korea tremendously. The German literature in Korea has contributed much to the development of various spheres in Korean society as an independent department, particularly the development of social sciences including a literary theory. However, the newly-confirmed educational reform in 1995 advocated two catchphrases, “globalisation” and “cultivating internationally competitive universities”, which ultimately threatened the existence of the pure studies. The German literature in Korea is facing the crisis of its identity, so it is imperative that it should correspond to the changes and requests this new era imposes, while the steady effort to survive without abandoning its identity should be required. This article shows the direction the German literature in Korea should pursue in the part of the conclusion.