Will English conquer Korea?

The new president of the Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-bak, is best known as an environmentalist and a pro-U.S. hawk. But he is also a champion of the English language.

As a late bloomer, South Korea is keen to be at the cutting edge of modernity. So as Koreans have joined the rich, bourgeois, post-industrial world, they've acquired all of the familiar accoutrements: a large and growing welfare state, rising social liberalism, universal broadband, Ph.D.'s galore. But must this taste for what is new and what is best extend to the jettisoning of that which is most distinctive about Korean culture? Do Korean children really need English-only instruction in math, science, and Korean history, a proposal Lee floated several months back? Well, yes, actually. Lee, being a coward, abandoned his plans at the last minute, fearing a nationalist backlash. But by embracing English, Korea could dramatically expand its cultural influence and become the first truly globalized society. How's that for cutting edge? — Reihan Salam

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