Global Citizenship Education in South Korea through Civil Society Organizations: Its Status and Limitation (Asian Journal of Education, Vol.17, Special Issue)

 This study aims to analyze global citizenship education (GCED) content programming offered by civil society organizations (CSOs) in South Korea. Drawing from Andreotti’s (2006) two strands of proposed concept on GCED, the paper identifies the current status and limitations of the GCED programs offered in Korea; thus, draws recommendation for the future GCED program development. The study finds that many GCED programs are heavily focused on humanistic towards a justice-oriented perspective or ‘soft’ approach rather than balancing the fundamental structures that enable learners to recognize global power imbalances, or critical approach. The study argues that providing a well balanced program that integrates two strands of GCED is imperative as CSOs to play a key role through non-formal and informal education that complements formal education’s provision. The study thus suggests that a complex web of cultural and material local/global contexts needs to be examined during the GCED program design in order to further foster ‘critical’ practice of GCED that was identified by Andreotti.