East Asia’s soft power competition in Southeast Asia: a case study of public diplomacy efforts in promoting Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language learning in Thailand since the 2000s

Abstract

Japan and China are major superpowers in Asia with historically and economically close relations to Southeast Asia, while Korea remained relatively invisible until the 19th century. The different historical ties of these three countries with Southeast Asia have resulted in different approaches to the region. This study examines how Japan, China, and Korea have expanded their presence in Southeast Asia, focusing on their use of soft power. Soft power, a concept introduced by Joseph Nye Jr. in the 1990s, has become essential in understanding the power dynamics of the international community.

The research specifically looks at the efforts of the three East Asian governments in promoting language learning in Thailand since the 2000s. The Japan Foundation, the Confucius Institute, and the Korean Education Center, run by the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean governments, are observed to understand the current state and methodology used to promote their respective languages in Thailand. In particular, comparing the status of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language education in Thailand is meaningful because of the country's significance for all three languages. The number of Japanese language learners in Thailand ranks fifth in the world, and the Japan Foundation, Bangkok, has been promoting the Japanese language in Thailand for nearly 50 years. Thailand is home to the most significant number of Confucius Institutes in Southeast Asia, with 16 of the region's 40 CIs located in Thailand. Thailand has the largest number of Korean learners in secondary education globally, representing 27% of all worldwide secondary school learners.