The English language in Korea: its history and vision

As the primary foreign language opted for more than half a century in both South and North Korea, the English language has served various purposes in the two Koreas. While English mainly has been the means to idolization of their leaders and communist ideology in North Korea, the language has functioned as a vehicle of globalization in South Korea. This article describes the past, present and future of English in the Korean peninsula, introducing a brief history of the language along with its use, language policies and educational practices as well as some issues and controversies over the English language.