When it comes to the development of Asia literacy, and in particular the level of Korea literacy, that exist among the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Asia literacy and Korea literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at all three levels of the Australian education system (and especially among students who are undertaking study at the tertiary level of the Australian education system), the Australian education system plays an important role to play when it comes to the development of Asia literacy, and in particular the development of Korea literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, and in particular among students who are undertaking study at all three levels of the Australian education system. And when it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australia and the Republic of Korea (whether the type of relationship in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people), having a high level of Korea literacy among the general Australian populace, and in particular having a high level of Korea literacy among students who are undertaking study at all three levels of the Australian education system, is considered to be important when it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australia and the Republic of Korea, whether the relationship in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people. However, in recent years, there has been had been a gradual decline in the number of academic programs that specialise in the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the teaching, as well as the study, of the four Asian languages other than English that were identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper that was published in October 2012) at all three levels of the Australian education system, and in particular the decline in the number of academic programs in Asian Studies and Asian languages other than English that are offered at the tertiary level of the Australian education system, and it could be argued that the decline in the number of academic programs in Asian Studies and Asian languages other than English that are offered at all three levels of the Australian education system, can have negative ramifications for the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories (and in particular the various relationships that Australia has with the Republic of Korea), as well as how the general Australian populace views the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories.

When it comes to the decline in the level, depth, and quality of the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the four Asian languages other than English that were identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper that was released in October 2012), one of the constituent nation-states of Asia that had experienced a decline in the study of in recent years had been the Republic of Korea, which, as has been discussed in previous articles in this series of articles that is looking at Korea literacy in Australia, has become one of the most important relationships that Australia has with the constituent nation-states and territories of Asia, and this is especially the case as both Australia and the Republic of Korea are both considered to be global middle powers when it comes to global politics and international relations, with both Australia and the Republic of Korea being members of MIKTA – which is a grouping of global middle powers – along with Mexico, Indonesia, and Turkiye. And while it could be argued that the various relationships that Australia has with the Republic of Korea (and in particular the diplomatic, as well as the people-to-people relationships that Australia has with the Republic of Korea) being among the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, it should be acknowledged at this point that when it comes to the teaching, as well as the study, of Asian languages other than English (and in particular the four ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English that were identified in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper that was published by the Australian Federal Government in October 2012), the Korean language was not identified as one of the four ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English that were identified in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper, even though it could be argued that the various relationships that Australia has with the Republic of Korea is widely considered to be one of the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, and that it could also be argued that the fact that the Korean language was not one of the four Asian languages other than English that were identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper that was released by the Australian Federal Government in October 2012 (the four Asian languages other than English that were identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper being Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian and Japanese) has resulted in a decline in the level of interest in the study of the Korean language among students who are undertaking study at all three levels of the Australian education system, and that it could be argued that this decline in the number of students undertaking study in the Korean language at all three levels of the Australian education system, and it could even be argued that this decline in the number of students undertaking study in the Korean language within the Australian education system can have ramifications for the level of Korea literacy that exists among, not only students who are undertaking study at all three levels of the Australian education system (whether it is at the primary, secondary, or tertiary levels of the Australian education system), but also the level of Korea literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, and this can have negative ramifications for the various relationships that Australia has with the Republic of Korea (and this has particularly been the case when it came to the diplomatic and people-to-people relationships that exist between Australia and the Republic of Korea), and in particular how members of the general Australian populace views the various relationships that exist between Australia and the Republic of Korea, and in particular how members of the general Australian populace views both the diplomatic, and the people-to-people, relationships that exist between Australia and the Republic of Korea, and this in turn can influence the various relationships that exist between Australia and the Republic of Korea.

It has often been argued that the level of Asia literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Asia literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular students who are undertaking study at the tertiary level of the Australian education system) can have an influence on how Asia, and in particular the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, and this is particularly true when it comes to the level of Korea literacy that exist among the general Australian populace. As will be discussed in this article, in recent years, there has been a gradual decline in the number of academic programs that specialise in the teaching, as well as the study, of Korea and the Korean language, at all three levels of the Australian education system (with this decline being most pronounced at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system), and it could be argued that the decline in the number of academic programs that specialise in the teaching, as well as the study, of Korea and the Korean language at all three levels of the Australian education system has had ramifications for how members of the general Australian populace views the various relationships that Australia has with the Republic of Korea (and in particular the diplomatic and people-to-people relationships that exist between Australia and the Republic of Korea), but also how the general Australian populace views the Republic of Korea itself

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