The Korean-American community in New York is advocating for Korean to be offered as regular second-language courses in high schools and universities throughout the country. Many groups and organizations are promising funding to help reach this goal.

One of the strongest advocates of Korean-language instruction is the Korean Language Regular Course Committee, founded last fall, under the leadership of Kim, Yong-dok, Yi, Se-mok, and Yi, Kwang-ho, who have been actively fundraising to support this initiative.

One of the largest contributors to date is GSKA, a new nonprofit organization directed by Kang, Hyon-sok, founded on July 12 of this year, which donated $10,000 to the Committee. The funds will be used to cover the salaries of two Korean-language teachers for one year.

Meanwhile, a Korean parents' group that wants to establish a Korean-language course as part of the standard language courses offered in the New York City public school system is actively investigating how best to support a Korean teacher who will be in charge of the Korean classes. Some Korean organizations have pledged their support in the form of

scholarships.

Currently, New York University, Columbia and Rutgers have announced Korean-language course programs for certified Korean teachers. NYU and Columbia are preparing to offer the courses in the 2009 fall semester, while Rutgers plans to start their courses this fall. The Committee and Rutgers have agreed to register at least six Korean-language instructors.

At present, the Committee is very busy finding support for the six Korean teachers who will enroll in this program. As well, the Committee has been setting up the rules for participation for Korean-language teachers, including an agreement that teachers who receive funds for the program must work at school for a prescribed period after they complete their courses. Instructors who do not fulfill this obligation will be asked to pay back their tuition.