Korea is said to be the country closest to and farthest from Japan. Yet, the international exchange between Japan and Korea has improved year by year, as the Korean economy has been growing. And, since the announcement of the Japan-Korea joint hosting of World Cup, the Japan-Korea relationship has attracted worldwide attention. Overcoming the unfortunate historical events the two countries experienced in the past and improving a good relationship with Korea as the neighboring Asian country are significant challenges to Japan in the future. Kanda University of International Studies is the only university in eastern Japan that provides such a special course in Korean. The course is designed to develop leaders who can improve this relationship in which misunderstanding and friction still remain and who can promote mutual understanding between the two countries.

In the department, freshmen concentrate on learning the Hankul alphabet and pronunciation in the first semester, and then in the second semester, they acquire the comprehensive basics of Korean. While conversation and composition lessons are led by the native teachers, grammar and reading lessons are led by Japanese teachers. The courses for acquiring advanced language proficiency such as interpreting and translating are provided for juniors and seniors.

Utilizing the geographical advantage, most of the students go to Korea, where they can learn about the differences between the two cultures and the differing customs, consequently, they are motivated to learn more about this attractive country. The curriculum provides various specialized courses such as Korean history, politics, economics, and culture.