Koreapedia

Koreapedia is an English-language collaborative wiki and language education platform dedicated to Korean culture, history, language, society, commerce, and geography. Founded in 2025 by Korean-Australian technologist and cultural advocate Dai-Kyu "Kimbo" Kim, who envisioned a digital resource to bridge the gap between Korea and the English speaking world by addressing the lack of accessible, native English-language content about Korea. The platform seeks to bridge language and cultural gaps by offering AI tools for discovery, language learning, and cross-cultural exchange.

Mission

Koreapedia will enable non-Korean speakers to meaninfully connect with Korea by breaking down language the Korean barrier through technology-enabled discovery and engagement, and collaborative language learning.

Scope

Koreapedia aims to provide a user-friendly English-language resource that allows users to explore Korean topics in depth, learn the Korean language using topic-based context, and connect with others who share similar interests both within and outside Korea. The platform targets a diverse global audience, including Koreaphiles, overseas Koreans, Korean language learners, travellers visiting Korea, foreign residents in Korea, business professionals, and "K-wavers" (fans of Korean popular culture).

Platform Overview

Koreapedia combines a wiki, with social features to enhance engagement and learning. Its core offerings include:

Wiki-based Knowledge Repository: Seeded initially with content from The Encyclopedia of Korea (1999) by Dr. Yang Hi Choe-Wall, the only Encyclopedia about Korea in English.
AI Tools to assist "Koreapedians" with research and wiki content generation on specific topics.
Contextual Language Learning thematically linked to the Koreapedia article with short courses and tandems.
Community Features such as topic-based forums, topic-based tandem language exchanges connecting learners with native speakers, and virtual and in-person events centered around Korean culture and language.

Community and Collaboration

Koreapedia functions as a collaborative wiki, inviting enthusiasts from Korea and worldwide to contribute their knowledge and experiences. This community-driven model aligns with the principles of collaborative writing, where shared ownership and diverse perspectives can enhance the quality and depth of content. While AI tools can assist in content generation and outlining, the platform will emphasize human contribution and scrutiny, which is crucial for wiki platforms to ensure accuracy and authenticity. Koreapedia's model will rely on its community to "write the narrative of Korea".

Language Learning Wiki Integration

Koreapedia will integrate language learning directly into the wiki workflow by using articles to create contextualized lessons for users to practice and acquire Korean vocabulary and phrases. This approach aligns with principles of contextual vocabulary acquisition, where learning new words is enhanced by understanding their use within a specific context. The platform aims to make language learning an engaging and social experience, leveraging shared passions among Koreapedians to facilitate practice.

Development Timeline

The platform is being developed in multiple phases, with a beta release anticipated in late 2025 following a Kickstarter campaign launched in July of the same year. Future development will expand functionality, including mobile travel assistant features and rollout to Spanish, Japanese and Chinese.

Background and Origins

Koreapedia was inspired by Kimbo's personal journey reconnecting with his Korean heritage after immigrating to Australia as a 4 year old. Motivated by the difficulties he faced due to language loss and cultural distance, Kimbo envisioned a tool that could empower others facing similar barriers.

The platform also builds on the academic legacy of his mother, Dr. Yang Hi Choe-Wall, a noted scholar of Korean literature and a Classical Korean manuscript translator that opened western eyes to old and new Korea. She is the author of The Encyclopedia of Korea, a foundational reference work documenting Korean culture and society in English.

Additionally, Koreapedia honours the academic legacy of Kimbo's grandfather, Dr. Jae-Seo Choe, a pioneering figure in introducing English literature, and the teaching of English, to the Korean Peninsula in the mid-20th century.

References

Koreapedia. (n.d.). Koreapedia Official Site. Retrieved from https://koreapedia.net
Encylopedia of Korea (1999) Australian National University
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Collaborative writing. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_writing
ResearchGate. (n.d.). How Can Generative AI be Adapted for Learning Context Support in Contextual Vocabulary Acquisition. Retrieved from ResearchGate
Kim, D. (n.d.). Dai-Kyu (Kimbo) Kim | LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/in/daikyukim/
Kim, D. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/daikyukim/
Kim, D. (n.d.). Bluesky profile. Retrieved from https://bsky.app/profile/daikyukim.bsky.social

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