Kazakhstan Peacekeeping Center Opens Its First Korean Course, Building a Bridge for Peace

The Ministry of Education, led by Minister Choi Kyo-jin, said the Almaty Korean Education Center, led by Director Kim Hong-hwan, will sign a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense on Friday, June 26 for cooperation in Korean-language education.

The agreement is being advanced through cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kazakhstan and Korea's Ministry of National Defense. It is significant for strengthening bilateral defense and education cooperation through Korean-language education. It is also Central Asia's first case of establishing a Korean course at a military education and training institution, and is notable for broadening the Korean Education Center's scope of cooperation.

After consultations with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense, the Korean course will first begin at its Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Center. Additional courses will be supported later in response to demand for Korean-language education within the ministry.

Kazakhstan's Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Center is a key institution responsible for predeployment training for the country's personnel participating in UN peacekeeping operations and for developing language specialists. It offers foreign-language programs in English, French, Turkish, Italian and other languages. The agreement will introduce a Korean program and is expected to establish a foundation for including Korean-language education in the military training system.

Under the memorandum, the two institutions agreed to cooperate in areas including operation of Korean courses, support for textbooks and instructors, and curriculum development. The Almaty Korean Education Center will dispatch an instructor directly to the PKO Center to teach Korean and support overall program operations.

The Korean course will open in August for service members at the PKO Center who wish to study Korean. Classes are scheduled twice a week for about four months.

The Ministry of Education is also supporting Korean-language education at defense-related institutions around the world. The Korean Education Center in Thailand has operated Korean courses for the Royal Thai Army since 2022. Since April 2026, the Korean Education Centre UK has operated a Korean classroom at the British Army Headquarters for military personnel and civilian employees. Korean programs also operate at defense education institutions in Paraguay in South America. Korean Education Centers worldwide are working to expand Korean-language education in the defense sector based on friendly cooperation with their host countries.

Korean Education Centers are overseas education institutions established in foreign countries by the Minister of Education, with a focus on supporting the spread of the Korean language abroad. Beginning with centers established in Japan in the 1960s, there are now 47 centers in 22 countries.

Lee Nan-young, Director General for International Education Planning at the Ministry of Education, said, “We expect this memorandum of understanding to expand the role of Korean Education Centers.” She added, “We plan to continue developing models for cooperation in Korean-language education in a variety of fields beyond defense.”

【Attachment】 Overview of the Korean Course at Kazakhstan's Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Center

• Korean course
• Course: Korean Course for Kazakhstan's UN Peacekeepers
• Textbook support: Korean-language textbooks for overseas Koreans
• Instructor support: Dispatch one Korean-language instructor affiliated with a Korean Education Center twice a week

※ The number of instructors supported is scheduled to increase depending on enrollment

• Overview of Kazakhstan's Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Center
• Purpose: An education institution under Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense responsible for training peacekeeping personnel who meet UN standards and for strengthening the capabilities of Kazakhstan's UN peacekeepers

< Kazakhstan's Participation in UN Peacekeeping Missions > - Since 2022: Participation in major African missions including MONUSCO and MINUSMA - Since 2024: First deployment of an independent Kazakh peacekeeping contingent to the Golan Heights mission - Current: A total of 157 peacekeepers deployed to UN missions in the Middle East and Africa

• Organization: Education and training institution under the Department of International Cooperation of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense
• Main language training: Instruction in major languages needed for UN peacekeeping operations
• English program: 6–12 months
• French and Turkish programs: Short courses 1–2 times a week (1 hour)
• Italian program: Short course 1–2 times a week (1 hour)

※ The embassies of the United States, France, Türkiye and Italy provide language textbooks and instructors