Opening of King Sejong Institute Center Sharjah overseeing the spread of the Korean language in the Middle East, in Sharjah, UAE

> Held on April 24 at the House of Wisdom in Sharjah, UAE

> The fifth KSI Center established and operated directly by the KSIF

The King Sejong Institute Foundation(President Lee Hai-young, hereafter referred to as the KSIF) hosted the opening ceremony of the ‘King Sejong Institute Center Sharjah’(hereafter referred to as the KSI Center Sharjah) at the House of Wisdom, the Sharjah National Library, on April 24.

The ceremony included a welcome speech, congratulatory messages, an introduction and progress report on KSI Center Sharjah, and a celebratory performance. Distinguished guests included Moon Byeong-jun, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Dubai; Lee Yong-hee, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in the UAE; H.E. Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Executive Chairman of the Department of Government Relations in Sharjah; the president of the Sharjah National University; Shin Min-cheol, President of the Korean Association in the UAE; and local experts in Korean language education, with a total of about 50 attendees.

The ‘KSI Center' is a foreign office established and operated directly by the KSIF to perform the regional headquarters function. Following the establishments in Vietnam (2017), Indonesia (2017), the United States (2018), and France (2021), the fifth such institute, KSI Center Sharjah, will play a central role in spreading the Korean language and culture in the Middle East.

KSI Center Sharjah plans to launch a Korean language introductory course by the end of April, and from the second half of the year, it will offer regular Korean language courses based on the basic education curriculum of the King Sejong Institutes, as well as Hangul Day events and various Korean culture classes. Furthermore, it will play a central role in projects necessary for the dissemination of the Korean language locally, including closely supporting 14 King Sejong Institutes located in 11 countries in the Middle East, training and re-educating Korean language teachers, and publishing educational materials.

President Lee Hai-young of the KSIF expressed his gratitude to local officials who greatly assisted in opening the KSI Center in Sharjah, designated as the ‘Cultural Capital of the Arab’ by UNESCO, stating, "KSI Center Sharjah will strive to ensure that learners in the Middle East and Africa can properly learn and enjoy the Korean language and culture."