A Study on the Direction and Instructional Strategies of Chinese Character Education for Korean Studies Majors in Germany

This study examines the current state of Hanja instruction in Korean Studies departments in Germany and proposes effective teaching methods to support Korean Studies research. Taking Latin education in German society as a point of reference, it emphasizes the need for Korean Studies majors to recognize Hanja both as an academic tool and as part of Korea’s cultural heritage. Drawing on the similarities between the compound word structure of German and the word-formation methods of Sino-Korean vocabulary, the study suggests that Hanja education can serve not only to enhance vocabulary acquisition but also to promote understanding of Korean culture and philosophical concepts. For Korean Studies in Europe to continue developing, it is necessary to expand the current focus on modern and contemporary studies to cover the entirety of Korean history. Such expansion requires an integrated approach to language and cultural education, in which the strengthening of Hanja instruction plays a key role. Accordingly, this paper proposes the establishment of independent Hanja modules and step-by-step learning objectives for overseas Korean Studies students who wish to develop Classical Chinese reading skills. This approach would provide structured learning opportunities for students seeking advanced Hanja and Korean Classical Chinese(Hanmun) training, and would lay the foundation for enabling majors to conduct research with a broader temporal and spatial scope.