한국에서의 남아시아지역연구의 동향과 과제

South Asian studies in South Korea during the Cold War period had been mainly concentrated on the humanities such as Indian language and literature studies, and Indian philosophy. There had been a lack of demand in South Korea for carrying out South Asian studies at the level of social science. One of the main reasons for this is South Korea considered that South Asian region was far from the mainstream of international activity, especially in the field of economy. Since the early 1990s, South Korea's interests in South Asia have increased in accordance with globalization and internationalization in the post-Cold War era. It is also enhanced by acknowledging India's huge market, great potential of IT industry, nuclear power and so on. As a result, the Korean Society for Indian Studies and Institute of South Asian Studies were established. Articles and monographs on South Asia were gradually increased by the social scientists in Korea. These positive developments have improved South Asian studies in South Korea in terms of its quantity as well as quality. However, compared with other area studies in South Korea, there are still much to do to enhance South Asian Studies in South Korea. Among the literatures on South Asia, most of them are on India. There has been not only the creation of serious gaps in the literature on South Asia as a region but, much more seriously a lack of interest in comparative studies per se. This trend has down-played the similarities of and the connections between, the differing states of South Asia. So, there must be an effort to diversify the study area into other countries of South Asia and take a comparative perspective which can lead to asking very useful and somethings new questions to understand a specific country or region. In terms of the researcher and the academician number, there have been a serious unbalance between the humanities and the social sciences on South Asian studies in South Korea. Most of the specialists on South Asia are in the humanities. The humanities studies are only a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition to stimulate an area studies. Therefore, it is high time that there must be a balance between the social sciences and the humanities on South Asian studies. Only then can South Asian studies in South Korea improve in the future ensuring a better understanding of life for the people of the region.