KSI Quimper, KSIF and MCST Officials Visit
KSI Quimper to Review Local Operations

> On March 12, officials from KSIF and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) visited KSI Quimper in France

> The visit aimed to assess the current status of Korean language and culture education at KSIs in France and to discuss future development strategies with local stakeholders

On March 12, Park Choong-sik, Director General of the KSI Business Division at the King Sejong Institute Foundation (hereinafter referred to as KSIF), Bae Seung-hwan, Deputy Director of the Korean Language Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as MCST), and Lee Seul-guie, Director of the KSI Center France, visited KSI Quimper, France. The purpose of the visit was to examine the operational status of KSIs in France, engage in direct communication with local KSI staff, and discuss potential directions for future development.

Currently, there are three KSIs operating in France. KSI Quimper, officially approved as a language institute under the Ecole de Management de Bretagne Atlantique (EMBA), was the third to be established following the KSI Center France and KSI La Rochelle. Founded in 1990, EMBA is a five-year business school dedicated to cultivating global talents in international trade and management. Within EMBA, the Institut Supérieur universitaire Gestion Asie-Pacifique (ISUGA) specializes in international trade with Asian countries and offers undergraduate programs in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
 
 

Since its establishment in July 2020, KSI Quimper has offered 90-minute Korean language classes daily to students majoring in Korean Trade Studies. In addition, two hobby classes are held every Friday for local residents, introducing Korean language and culture. Every Wednesday, a dispatched teacher also teaches classes at the Kerfeunteun Cultural Center. Currently, KSI Quimper operates with five Korean instructors working in collaboration: Seo Hyi-gyeong, a Grade A teacher with 18 years of experience; Son Ji-su, a Grade B teacher with 8 years of experience; Kim Hyun-na, a newly dispatched Grade C teacher as of September last year; Yoon Hyun-ji, program coordinator; and Kim Myung-yul, who serves as both director of the institute and a local instructor.

On the day of the visit, Park Choong-sik (KSIF), Bae Seung-hwan (MCST), and Lee Seul-guie (KSI Center France) departed early in the morning from Paris to observe classes at the Kerfeunteun Cultural Center. Afterward, they arrived at EMBA University to review the current operations of KSI Quimper. They also held meetings with dispatched teachers, the institute director, and learners to discuss operational challenges and possible directions for further development.
 
 

During the meeting, Delphine NDION, Director of ISUGA, introduced EMBA University, followed by an explanation of KSI Quimper’s operational status by Institute Director Kim Myung-yul. The session also included interviews with KSI Quimper learners Florie Penisson and Maëlys Saint Jean. Both learners shared that their initial exposure to Korean culture came through Korean dramas and K-pop, which sparked their interest in the Korean language. Their interest deepened through two student exchange experiences, allowing them to learn more about the language and culture. Expressing their aspirations to work at Korean companies after graduation, they also conveyed hope for more opportunities to engage with Korean culture in the Quimper area. In response, Bae Seung-hwan of the MCST stated, “The Ministry will dispatch more cultural experts and expand support going forward.”
 
 

This visit served as an opportunity to closely examine the operational status of KSIs in France and to strengthen communication with local KSI staff and learners. KSIF and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plan to continue expanding support for the promotion of Korean language and culture throughout France.

Article by Seo Hyi-gyeong, Correspondent at KSI Quimper