Digital-era Ukrainian language education in Korea: institutional foundations, educational challenges, and future directions / Цифрова освіта українською мовою в Республіці Корея: інституційні основи, освітні виклики та перспективи розвитку

This article examines how Ukrainian language education in the Republic of Korea has been institutionally formed and developed amid the dual transformations of digitalization and the reconfiguration of the international order. Ukrainian was designated a Critical Foreign Language under the Act on the Promotion of Education in Critical Foreign Languages (officially translated as Less Commonly Taught Foreign Languages) in 2016, and its importance has further increased since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian language education in Korea operates through a highly concentrated, single-institution model centered on the Department of Ukrainian Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Contrary to the common perception that such a structure limits educational outreach, this study argues that it has functioned as an institutional strength by ensuring curricular coherence, standardization of teaching materials, and sustained training of specialists. The publication of standardized textbooks at the A1–A2 levels in 2025 and the forthcoming B1–B2 volumes in 2026 demonstrate Korea’s transition from introductory instruction toward systematic training of independent language users. The article further analyzes key challenges facing Ukrainian language education in the digital era, including the limited availability of authentic online materials, insufficient multimodal resources, ethical and pedagogical constraints on the use of AI-based tools, and perceived cultural distance among learners. Rather than rapid technological adoption, Korean Ukrainian language education has pursued a gradual digital transition based on web-based textual and audio materials, reflecting the realities of Critical Foreign Languages with limited learner populations. This study proposes future directions emphasizing the development of a national digital language education platform, institutionalization of blended learning, cautious and limited use of AI, and stronger linkages between education, research, and societal needs related to Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction. In doing so, the article contributes empirical insights and policy implications to discussions on strategic language education and digital language pedagogy.