Accessing the soft power of Japanese language in Australia: young Korean migrants studying Japanese as a foreign language

Drawing on case studies of Korean migrants who moved to Australia post-2000 during their adolescence, this chapter demonstrates that Japanese language played a significant role in establishing a place for these young people in Australian society. The chapter first compares the status of Japanese language in Australia and South Korea, arguing that by comparison, the high status of Japanese language in Australia makes it an attractive area of study for Korean learners in Australia. It then analyses the cases of two young Korean migrants, showing that their Japanese language studies enabled them to use the soft power of Japanese language to gain a secure foothold in Australian society