DepEd, South Korea renew partnership to expand Korean language in public schools

Filipino high school students will gain expanded opportunities to learn the Korean language and strengthen global competitiveness after the Department of Education (DepEd) renewed its partnership with the Republic of Korea to continue and enhance Korean language teaching in select public schools.

The cooperation was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Choi Kyo?Jin of the Republic of Korea.

The agreement was presented to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Lee Jae Myung during a ceremony at Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, as part of the South Korean leader’s state visit to the Philippines.

The Education Department said the renewed cooperation supports the expansion of the Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL), which aims to equip Filipino learners with language proficiency and cultural awareness to prepare them for international careers.

“By renewing this partnership, we are not just teaching a new language; we are opening doors to global opportunities for our teachers and learners,” Angara said.

First piloted in 2009, the SPFL currently offers Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Chinese, and Korean in selected public secondary schools through partnerships with foreign governments and cultural institutions.

The Korean language component of the program was first introduced through a 2017 agreement between DepEd and the Republic of Korea. Under the partnership, the Korean Cultural Center of the Philippines has served as the official training provider, offering language instruction support and cultural immersion activities for students and teachers.

For School Year 2024–2025, the SPFL-Korean program has been implemented in 69 public secondary schools across 13 regions, benefiting 4,810 learners and supporting the training and professional development of 168 teachers, according to DepEd.

Education officials said the newly signed MOU ensures the program’s continuation after the previous agreement expired.

Under the renewed partnership, the Philippines and South Korea will collaborate on curriculum development, teacher capacity building, deployment of Korean language specialists, and provision of teaching resources to strengthen Korean language education in participating schools.

DepEd said the agreement also supports the long-term institutionalization of Korean as a foreign language offering in selected public high schools.

The education department added that the partnership reflects the growing bilateral ties between the Philippines and South Korea and highlights both countries’ commitment to educational innovation and cultural exchange. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News