Dr. Kang Myoung Sook, a Korean lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), recently visited the 9th Prime Minister’s office in Kuala Lumpur. She was accompanied by Professor Emeritus Dr. Ahn Yong-ho from the Department of Malay-Indonesian Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in Seoul, Korea, and Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Jessica Ong Hai Liaw, an expert in the psychology of language.

Dr. Kang Myoung Sook is known for her fluency in the Malay language, both academically and professionally. She has been invited as a speaker for two consecutive years at the Malay Language Internationalisation Symposium at Wisma Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). Dr. Kang has been actively involved in promoting and globalising the Malay language for many years.

During a recent visit, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob, the 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia, extended a special invitation to discuss the establishment of a centre for Malay language and civilization study in South Korea. Dr. Kang and Professor Emeritus Dr. Ahn Yong-ho, who made history by compiling the first Indonesian-Korean dictionary in Korea, were present at the visit. The focus of the discussion was on the importance of a Malay-Korean dictionary, which could significantly help those interested in studying both languages. If the Malay-Korean dictionary is published successfully, it will be the first of its kind in both Korea and Malaysia.