Hidden Players of Global Yonsei: The Institute of Language Research and Education The Yonsei Institute of Language Research and Education (YILRE) is widely known as the best, as well as the oldest, language institution in Korea. It consists of two divisions, the Korean Language Institute, which teaches the Korean language and culture to foreigners, and the Foreign Language Institute, where Yonsei students and the general public study foreign languages. In April, we met Professor Choi Moon-gyoo (Dept. of German Language and Literature), Director of YILRE to talk about major projects and goals for the year 2007. The Korean Language Institute: the World’s Best Korean Language Institution The Korean Language Institute (KLI) opened in 1959 and is becoming more famous each year, with 5,423 students from 54 countries studying Korean at KLI in 2006 only. However, Professor Choi pointed out that although Yonsei’s KLI is still known as the best place to study Korean, KLI needs to make continual improvements to maintain this status. This year, KLI opened a kitchen that accommodates 30 students and allows them to learn Korean language and culture through the medium of cooking. In addition, KLI is planning to publish over 30 new Korean textbooks in the next six years, putting a total of 1.5 billion won toward the funding of this project. This May, a major international festival was held to give Yonsei students and KLI students a chance to learn about each other’s cultures. And KLI is planning to build a global network of current and former students of the Institute that will serve as an international base for Yonsei. The Foreign Language Institute: From Red to Black with New Projects The Foreign Language Institute (FLI) was the foremost English language education institution in the 70’s and 80’s, but was in the red for quite some time since the 90’s. Due to efforts in diverse sectors, including the reinforcement of the elementary and junior programs, the FLI is finally turning a profit. This May, FLI opened a Writing Center, where students and the general public will be able to submit their writing on- and offline for revisions. Support of the University Needed Nearly 5,000 students study at the KLI every year, but the dormitory accommodates only 50 of these students. Professor Choi emphasized the importance of support from the University level to ensure that international students’ needs be met. The Yonsei Institute of Language Research and Education is not just a profit-making enterprise, but an important contributor to international exchange that connects Yonsei to the world.