Welcome to the Korean Language Flagship Center (KLFC) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM)! Established in 2002, KLFC is the first Korean language and culture center in the United States.

KLFC has been dedicated to cultivating specialists with superior-level proficiency in Korean by providing an immersive language learning environment, tutoring programs, one-year capstone program at Korea University, overseas internships, summer intensive domestic and overseas programs, merit and need-based financial aid, and so forth.

B.A. in Korean for Professionals

Minimum 36 credits

The B.A. program aims to prepare American students to function in Korean as professionals in their chosen academic or professional fields. Through the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures (EALL), a Bachelor of Arts degree in Korean for Professionals is ...

M.A. in Korean for Professionals

Minimum 30 credits

The M.A. program aims to produce professionals who can function in Korean in their chosen fields. After two years of intensive Korean language training, graduates of this program are expected to take their place among the next generation of global professionals ...

Overseas Programs

One-year

The one-year overseas component completes the B.A. program and the Certificate program. Housed at Korea University’s Korean Language Center, the overseas component is called the Korean Flagship Overseas Program. The overseas component includes coursework ...

The Language Flagship

The Language Flagship is a national effort to change the way Americans learn languages. We offer language programs at schools across the United States for undergraduate students in critical languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, and Turkish. In an effort to build language proficiency for all U.S. students, we also support K–12 language programs and curriculum development to improve opportunities for U.S. students to pursue language education. 

NSEP

National Security Education Program (NSEP) at the U.S. Department of Defense

Korean Language Flagship Center is a part of The Language Flagship which is a federally-funded effort and is a component of the National Security Education Program (NSEP) at the U.S. Department of Defense. NSEP was created in 1991 to develop a much-needed strategic partnership between the national security community and higher education to address national needs for expertise in critical languages and regions.

NSEP is the only federally-funded effort focused on the combined issues of language proficiency, national security, and the needs of the federal workforce. In conjunction with technology and research-oriented investments, NSEP represents an integral component of a national security strategy to eliminate the serious language deficiency in the federal government.