International scholarship for social change? Re‐contextualizing Global Korea Scholarship alumni’s perceptions of justice and diversity in South Korea

Abstract

This study examines South Korea's international scholarship program based on responses to the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) alumni survey to find how the participants perceive the host country's dimensions of justice and diversity. We employ the concept of justice in terms of redistribution, recognition, and representation. Analysis of GKS alumni perceptions of Korean society revealed that international mobility programs may provide positive and negative experiences for the participants depending on their positionality in terms of gender, ethnicity, and Korean language proficiency. Some had the exclusive opportunity to access global knowledge, skills, and networks. Others were exposed to unexpected misrepresentation and misframing while living and learning in the new society. We suggest the need for multidimensional policy discussions to consider both positive and negative outcomes of international scholarship programs and their potential to play a transformative role in global higher education.

Exploring Global Korea Scholarship as a Public Diplomacy Tool

“…On the one hand, Jon (2012) finds that Korea-based international students from non-Western countries (mainly developing countries) are more discriminated against. Hong et al (2021) also find similar findings in the case of GKS students. On the other hand, Istad et al’s (2021) study show that GKS students’ home country’s level of development is not a significant determinant of their intention to stay in the country after graduation.…”

Inadvertent Reproduction of Western-centrism in South Korean IR Theorization: Epistemological, Teleological, and Complicit Western-centrism

“…In South Korean IR studies, alternative strategy of obtaining universality in its indigenous IR theorization is to export future distinctively Korean-style IR theory to the world, particularly to the Global South (Hahm 2008;Hong 2008;Kang 2010;Kim and Cho 2009;Park 2005). Yet, due to South Korean IR's strong essentialist tendency in theorization, a high degree of Korean-centrism will be implicated in the future distinctively Korean-style IR theory.…”