Eggeumis played an important role in the 2022 Invitational Training for Outstanding Students. Eggeumis are university student volunteers who act as guides to the KSI students during their 2022 Invitational Training for Outstanding Students. This year, a total of 15 Eggeumis helped guide the participants and check their health as they stayed with KSI students throughout the entire course of the 7-day program to ensure that it was run smoothly and safely. We met with three of them (Song Seung-bin, Yoo Ji-young, and Han E-ji) and asked them about what they had gained from their experience and why they would recommend the volunteer activity to their friends.

Hello. Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Son Seung-bin (Son): Hello! My name is Son Seung-bin, and I consider myself a diplomat of Korea. Currently, I’m a student in the Department of Korean Language at Kyung Hee University, where I’m learning about ways I can promote Korea to the world through the Korean language.

Yoo Ji-young (Yoo): Nice to meet you all. I’m Yoo Ji-young, and I want to be someone who promotes Korean culture to people around the globe. With this goal in mind, I am currently majoring in Korean language. I have been accumulating relevant experience by teaching the Korean language and culture to international students both on and off campus.

Han E-ji (Han): Hello, readers of Monthly Knock, Knock! I am Han Ji-ji, and I study Korean Language and Literature at Sungshin Women's University. I am preparing to pursue a Master’s degree to become a Korean language teacher.

The three of you participated in the 2022 Invitational Training for Outstanding Students as volunteers. Please tell us about your application process and why you decided to apply.

Son: Actually, I applied as a volunteer for the same program back in 2019, but I never made it through the interviews, which is why I had been waiting for the program to resume after the pandemic! I follow KSIF on Instagram, so I applied as soon as I learned that it was accepting volunteer applications for the occasion. I applied because I am passionate about meeting actual students who have received Korean language education, since I, myself, want to become a teacher of the Korean language one day.

Yoo: I’m very enthusiastic when it comes to promoting Korean culture, which is why I’m interested in what KSIF has been doing in terms of spreading the Korean language and culture. I also follow KSIF on Instagram, so I applied when I saw the recruitment listing. Since it was an event hosted by an institution that I want to work at, I applied right away especially because the idea of interacting with students from all over the world for a week sounded very exciting to me.

Han: I’m very interested in activities that engage international students studying Korean, so I visit websites of relevant institutions, like the National Institute of Korean Language or KSIF. I came across the recruitment listing for volunteers for the Invitational Training for Outstanding Students by chance, and I applied right away.

All of you had the chance to closely see and experience the event while working as Eggeumis. Please tell us about something or someone you found memorable during the process.

Son: What impressed me the most was how the outstanding students and Eggeumis were always considerate and caring for each other. Despite the packed schedule, the students followed our guidance very well, which I found very grateful. Also, all of the Eggeumis tried their best so that the students could get the most out of their experience. The winner and the runner-up of the Korean Speaking Contest were both in our group (Group 2)! The two students as well as all other members of my group who cheered for them left such a strong impression on me.

Yoo: I also miss my group members more than anything. I remember how touched I was when the students from KSI Vilnius, Lithuania, performed on a dance stage to Lee Sunhee’s song ‘Destiny’ on the day of the final round of the Speaking Contest. I was so happy and proud when both the winner and the runner-up of the Speaking Contest came out of my group. And I also cried quite a bit when I had to say goodbye to two students from Russia, whom I had talked with the most during the Training period. All of us became such good friends over the week.

Han: Someone I’m especially thankful for was Unik, who was the leader of my group, Group 5. External activities require us to pay greater attention so that the students don’t get lost, which is why external activities are especially demanding and challenging for Eggeumis, with so many people we need to guide. And Unik helped me greatly by bringing the group together, doing head counts, and lining the students up. She took some of the load off my shoulder. And I also remember Munghwerden, a YouTuber, as well as Reebkah, who is married and has three children. She really was like a mom to me.

What do you think differentiates the Eggeumi volunteer activity from other non-curricular activities? Why would you recommend the program to your friends?

Son: Any student studying in the field of Korean language education always thinks about how to make Korean language education more effective for potential students. Because students who have received high-quality Korean education come to KSI’s Invitational Training for Outstanding Students, the occasion is a gathering place of talented individuals, which is what sets it apart from similar programs. And as a college student, you rarely get the opportunity to guide 30 to 40 individuals at once. The opportunity helps the volunteers grow in a way.

Yoo: First of all, you are given a valuable opportunity to interact with international students who truly love Korea for a week. For me, meeting people from different national and cultural backgrounds, spending quality time together, and building a special bond is once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Secondly, you are your boss because you have to take the initiative and guide these participants all on your own. The job requires a strong sense of responsibility and leadership. So it’s more than just a line on your resume. It’s a memorable experience that lives with you.

Han: The job requires a tremendous amount of responsibility, to begin with. We did a DDP tour, which included a lot of market activities, and I, myself, wasn’t familiar or comfortable with the geography. So I had to pay a significant amount of attention to each of the participants so that they wouldn’t get lost. They are here on a temporary visa, which requires them to go back to their country of residence once the program is over. So, the volunteers had to be extra careful Although it was only for 7days, I made good friends with some of the participants, with whom I still stay in contact to this day. Being a volunteer for the program requires a huge responsibility but it also comes with a lot of perks, including being able to teach international students about Korean culture, learning how to guide a large group of people, as well as learning how to improvise flexibly in unexpected situations.

What are some things you believe you have personally accomplished through the volunteer activity? They can be something small or large, such as changes in terms of your career goals.

Son: I’ve become determined to pursue a career in the field of Korean language education and to help promote Korea to a global audience. I’m going on an exchange student program next year, and I’m hoping to work at a local KSI location during my stay there to help spread the beauty of the Korean language and culture. I consider myself a diplomat, so I’ll be grateful for the opportunity to show others how beautiful and special Korea is, even if it’s just one person.

Yoo: It was meaningful and rewarding to gain field experience in running events. And seeing the students who studied so hard to become fluent in Korean inspired me to apply for a position as a Korean teacher overseas. Watching the students singing along to K-pop from different generations made me realize how much they love Korea and how passionate they are about studying the Korean language and culture. I would love to continue contributing to promoting Korean culture to people around the globe.

Han: When we were visiting the Seonbi World in Yeongju, the students showed a tremendous amount of interest in learning Korean culture, as they put on the traditional attire of scholars, learned how to make Korean dishes, and experienced traditional Korean music. I was initially worried that they would find the Namsadang performance boring. It turns out I was wrong because the students stayed focused and enjoyed the entire performance. I realized how prejudiced I was. Also, when we visited the Royal Tomb of Sejong, the students asked me endless questions on Korean history, from the location of the tomb to the persons involved in the history. It made me appreciate the level of interest they have in Korean culture. I also had a chance to appreciate Korean culture more through the program.