By Honorary Reporter Laura Adriana Martinez Venegas from Mexico
Illustrations = Laura Adriana Martinez Venegas, National Institute of the Korean Language, Freepik

Korean Sign Language (KSL) is one of Korea's two official languages since receiving official recognition in late 2015 from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Language Institute.

The designation came after the National Assembly in Seoul in December 2015 passed the Basic Act on Korean Sign Language, which has four main points and 20 articles on providing support, generating knowledge, conducting research and offering equal opportunity to all citizens whether hearing impaired or not.

The movement to help the hearing impaired in Korea began in late 1889 with the opening of the nation's first educational center for those with the disability. Yet research and the formation of semi-formal study groups did not start until early 2000, and it wasn't until 2008 that the idea of ​​a law to protect the hearing impaired appeared. 

Like any nation, Korea needed to assist and support its deaf community since education, learning and entertainment centers, and job opportunities for the hearing impaired were limited, and in many cases nonexistent. This led to the founding of Korean Association of the Deaf to advocate for the estimated 350,000 hearing impaired people in the country.

The two main achievements of the act were legal recognition of KSL as one of the country's two official languages ​​and the right of every citizen to have educational, recreational, cultural and religious opportunities whether hearing impaired or not. 

The government consequently sought to implement the law through providing budget, training, venues, and translation and interpretation when needed.

Today, Korea has universities that teach subjects entirely in KSL and are dedicated to the training of KSL teachers like Korean National University of Welfare. A master's degree in sign language is offered, and separate programs teach the acquisition and improvement of KSL from early in life.

Literacy in KSL has since grown exponentially in Korea, but much work and improvement are needed in this young but burgeoning social welfare sector.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.