Daegu Catholic University started running KSI in 2017. The university is currently managing KSI Bishkek with Arabaev Kyrgyz State University in Kyrgyzstan, KSI Minsk with Belarusian State University in Belarus, and KSI Jakarta with DCU Indonesia Center in partnership with SEAMEO SEAMOLEC in Jakarta, Indonesia. CHOI Ga-Young, from Daegu Catholic University Office of International Programs, shares her rewarding moments as a KSI staff member who is involved with the operation of these three locations.

Hello, CHOI Ga-Young. Please introduce yourself briefly and share your special tips on managing KSI, especially since Daegu Catholic University was selected as one of the outstanding KSI operating institutions.

Hello. My name is CHOI Ga-Young, and I’m with Daegu Catholic University Office of International Programs, in charge of the KSI project. Daegu Catholic University first applied for KSI in 2017, having started with Jakarta institute, and now it’s managing three locations. Running a KSI overseas isn’t easy work. The different circumstances and situations of each country have led to various ups and downs up until today. I remember troubling KSI staff by calling them on the phone constantly when I first became in charge of this project (laughs). There still are many obstacles to conquer, but it’s going much more stable now compared to its beginning.

Most of all, we were able to do well with the KSI project, which is all thanks to the devotion of operational staff and instructors across the locations, as well as the cooperation from local institutions. Everything was possible because we had a common goal with those directly dealing with local circumstances, to further spread the Korean language and culture. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude once more, to the staff of our KSI locations.

Are there any special moments with students, classes, or events you remember while you have been managing KSI?

I remember this episode from KSI Bishkek. Begimai is an instructor who studied in KSI Bishkek between 2015 and 2016, transferred to a Korean university with a scholarship, graduated there, and majored in Korean Language Education in a graduate school. After working for several years in Korea, Begimai joined KSI Bishkek as a local instructor in the 2nd half of 2022. Instructor Begimai shared her feelings on this journey by saying, “감개가 무량하다 (I’m overwhelmed with emotions).” Once a student, Begimai is now an instructor standing in front of the whiteboard. I hope she becomes an example who is followed by more similar cases in the future. I hope the Training Course for Korean Language Teachers, which started in 2021, produces instructors who teach Korean better than native Koreans.

You must be directly experiencing the enthusiasm among the international crowd towards learning Korean since you are managing 3 KSI locations in Asia and Europe. If you have any goals that you’ve developed as an operational staff member of KSI, little Korea in the world, please share them with us.

You’re right. They are from different countries but their passion towards learning the Korean language is incredible. You can see it in the number of students in KSI Jakarta, which is increasing each year. Besides our basic courses, we will also be offering special courses regularly to adapt to this demand. The classes are still provided online due to COVID-19, and these online classes are allowing a large group of students, who live where there isn’t a KSI location, to join the program. We are currently planning ways to provide learning opportunities to more students in collaboration with local institutes. In addition, there will be more offline events coming up in the post-COVID future.

KSI Bishkek was selected for several KSIF projects and provided a variety of programs to Kyrgyz students. We aim to provide a wider range of opportunities for people to experience the Korean language and culture through the foundation’s programs.

While there are many KSI locations worldwide, we will try our best to establish a sense of uniqueness at each of our locations as we approach the students. Thank you!

Nam Gyeongran (Indonesia Center of Daegu Catholic University) is being awarded Certificate of Merit to outstanding KSI operating institutions in 2022.