> Held on November 28th (Mon) at the Paris Korea Center in France.
> Featured a special lecture on Korean literature by the Nobel Prize-winning French writer Le Clezio.

KSIF held the 'Opening Ceremony for KSI Center France' at 11:30 am local time (19:30 Korean time) on November 28 (Mon) at the Paris Korea Center located in the center of Paris, France, to commemorate the opening of KSI Center France.

In December 2021, the foundation opened Centre français de l’Institut Roi Sejong in Paris, France, to promote systematic Korean language education to students who wish to study Korean and to efficiently support 21 King Sejong Institutes in 9 countries in Europe. However, the Centre began accepting students only later this year because of the pandemic.

A total of 100 people attended the opening ceremony of KSI Center France, including Korean Ambassador to France Yu Dae-Jong, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in France Lee Il-Yeol, as well as local government officials and education experts.

KSI students, Korean language teachers, and officials from relevant institutions around the world, who were unable to attend the event, compiled a video in which they congratulated the opening of KSI Center France.

The opening ceremony, in particular, featured the last of the special lecture series, ‘10 special lectures’, organized by the Foundation in celebration of its 10th anniversary. The speaker, J.M.G. Le Clezio, known for receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2008, delivered a special lecture on the subject “My Korea, the Land of Literature and Peace.” KSI Center France currently runs 14 elementary and intermediate Korean classes, which it started offering on September 19th. More than 900 applicants applied for the classes, which showed just how passionate French students were about learning Korean. KSI Center France will be holding various Korean language classes and cultural events for its students as well as the general public who are interested in Korea.

Guests cutting the tape at the opening ceremony of KSI Center France.

Yu Dae-Jong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to France, delivers a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of KSI Center France.