"I was very surprised by Indonesian learners who prefer learning Korean folk songs over K-pop”
Kim Ye-eun, Outstanding KSI Culture Intern in 2023

“KSI Culture Intern” is a program that selects university (or graduate school) students majoring in culture and arts or with equivalent experience, and dispatches them to KSI locations. KSI Culture Interns go to local KSIs worldwide to provide Korean culture classes. Today, we met with Kim Ye-eun, who has returned from KSI Center Indonesia in Jakarta, after working there as a KSI Culture Intern.

Would you please tell us about yourself?

Good morning. I am Kim Ye-eun, a senior year of majoring in International and Area Studies and Global Korean Studies (Korean Language Education as a Foreign Language) at Handong Global University in Pohang. From September to December last year, I served as a Culture Intern in the traditional culture field at KSI Center Indonesia in Jakarta.

How did you find out about the KSI Culture Internship and apply?

This was my second KSI Culture internship. I had previously been dispatched to KSI Tangerang, Indonesia, operated by Handong Global University, in 2022. Handong University's slogan is 'Learn to Serve Others.' I had a dream of promoting Korean culture worldwide by utilizing my knowledge of Korean language education and Korean traditional dance, which I learned in high school. So when my advising professor told us about KSI Culture Intern recruitment, I applied to gain experience in Korean cultural education.

How did you feel when you were assigned to Jakarta? What were the difficulties in preparing for the dispatch?

I was very excited to get the opportunity to go to Indonesia again. This time, I was even more excited because I could experience Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. However, it was not easy to find a place to live near KSI because the cost of living in Jakarta was too expensive. Fortunately, with the help of another dispatched teacher at the KSI, I was able to find a good place to stay.

What was the level of interest and perception of the Korean language and culture in Jakarta, compared to what you expected?

I was very surprised to find that many people loved Korea and had a lot of interest in the Korean language and culture. During my time as a Culture Intern at KSI, there were a lot of learners who went to Korea. I knew that there were many of them wanting to learn Korean because of the growing influence of Hallyu. Seeing learners who were so keen to study Korean history and culture in depth made me want to study even more in my field.

You gave classes on traditional culture, Hallyu culture, and traditional music. I'd like to know about what you taught in each class and what KSI learners’ reactions were like.

In the traditional culture class, I gave four lectures on Korean traditional games, art, and music. In the Hallyu culture class, I introduced Korean variety shows and dramas. We played various games that appeared in shows such as "Yang Se-chan Game," and getting idol names correct. In the traditional music class, I explained the theory of Minyo (Korean folk songs) and Pansori, and had time to sing Minyo. We even held a Minyo recital where the learners wore Hanbok and sang "Jindo Arirang" in front of KSI instructors. During the Minyo class, learners had time to create their own versions of "Jindo Arirang" according to their situations, which we presented at the recital.

The learners were extremely delighted when they completed the Hallyu culture class, saying they enjoyed learning about the latest trends in Korea. What surprised me the most was that they preferred traditional culture and traditional music classes over Hallyu culture classes. It seemed that they wanted to learn about traditional Korean culture more deeply when they had a teacher, since they already knew Hallyu culture well.

I wonder if the classes on traditional culture and traditional music weren’t too difficult for foreign learners. How was it?

As I was dispatched in the field of traditional culture, I prepared the curriculum by consulting with the professors who I met during my domestic training as a KSI Culture Intern. I planned various classes on traditional culture, and learners were particularly eager to learn about traditional music. I explained the theory of Minyo and Pansori and hand them sing Minyo themselves, using the materials I learned in domestic training at the KSIF. The learners were very pleased as they learned about Minyo theories and deepened their understanding of Korea. I was worried that the history of Minyo and Pansori might be difficult, and I prepared learning and video materials carefully. Seeing the learners enjoying every class was very rewarding.

Were there any difficulties in communication while working as a KSI Culture Intern because of language?

Since the learners’ Korean language proficiency at KSI Center, Indonesia was excellent, I didn't have much difficulty in communication. I also studied the Indonesian language in my spare time because I wanted to be able to interact more and bond with the learners.

How do you think your experience as a KSI Culture Intern will help you in your future? Do you feel that you have grown?

Through this KSI Culture Intern activity, I feel that I was able to better understand the reality of Korean culture and language education in the world. In Korea, I prepared for Korean language and culture education for KSI Culture Intern activity, while in Indonesia, I learned about Indonesian culture, history, and language as well while teaching. This gave me a better understanding of the world, as well as the Indonesian learners who want to learn Korean. Being a KSI Culture Intern was a truly meaningful experience for me.