Jeju Language Facing Extinction... Push for Dedicated Anniversary to Protect It

[Anchor]

UNESCO has classified the Jeju language as an endangered language. Now, new discussions are underway to protect it, with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council pushing to establish "Jeju Language Day" to highlight the value of the language once again.

Ha Chang-hoon from JIBS reports.

[Reporter]

The drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines," which gained sensational popularity last year.

The Jeju language woven into a love story transcending time drew much attention.

However, the Jeju language is designated by UNESCO as a definitely endangered language.

While various preservation policies have been pursued so far, intergenerational transmission and increasing everyday use remain ongoing challenges.

In particular, the current ordinance only stipulates a "Jeju Language Week," leaving no symbolic anniversary for residents to remember together.

Because of this, the necessity has emerged to promote everyday use and intergenerational transmission through the designation of "Jeju Language Day."

[Kang Chul-nam / Member, Democratic Party of Korea, Jeju Provincial Council : With the hope that designating Jeju Language Day will help make it well-known to descendants and younger generations, and that our precious language will continue to be passed down...]

Full-scale discussions for designating "Jeju Language Day" have begun.

Discussions covered practical operational plans, including raising awareness on the need to designate "Jeju Language Day," linking it with education, media, and cultural events, as well as financial support and role-sharing among related institutions.

[Kim Soon-ja / Director, Jeju Language Research Institute : To preserve the vanishing Jeju language, I think it needs to be used more in daily life, and more importantly, there must be policy and administrative support.]

Reflecting the voices from the discussion meeting, the Jeju Provincial Council plans to pursue adding the grounds for designating and operating "Jeju Language Day" into the ordinance.

Attention is focused on whether a "single day" that all provincial residents can remember together will be created for the disappearing Jeju language.

(Camera Reporter: Yoon In-soo, JIBS / Footage Courtesy of: Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education)

Ha Chang-hoon, JIBS
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.