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I Europe

Netherlands

On April 11, the Department of Korean Studies at Leiden University hosted the 6th Korean Speech Contest for local undergraduate and graduate students studying Korean at universities across the Netherlands. A total of 24 students participated, delivering speeches on a variety of topics. After the contest, an informational session was held to introduce the Korean Working Holiday Program, providing practical guidance for students interested in experiencing Korean culture firsthand.
 
 

Russia

On April 5, for the first time, Korean was included in the Total Dictation (Тотальный диктант), an annual Russian language dictation event aimed at promoting Russian literacy and language learning, which has been held since 2004. This year’s event was held in Sirius, near Sochi, using a text written by Russian author Marina Moskvina. Over 1.3 million people participated. To encourage broader participation from various ethnic groups in Russia, the dictation was translated into 21 languages, including Korean.
 
 

I Asia

Vietnam

From March 31 to April 2, registration was held for the EPS-TOPIK, the first-round selection test under the Employment Permit System (EPS) program for overseas workers in Korea. This took place in the north-central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, regions known for having a large number of workers dispatched to Korea. On the first day of registration alone, more than 1,500 applicants signed up. This year, Korea plans to recruit 3,000 workers in manufacturing and 300 in agriculture from Vietnam through the EPS program.
 
 

China

On March 30, Shandong Normal University hosted the final round of the 2nd Korean Poetry Recitation Contest for University Students in Shandong Province. Fifteen students majoring in Korean language from various universities in the province participated, reciting Korean poems with fluent pronunciation and expressive delivery. During the subsequent Q&A session, participants engaged in open discussion with the judges about the cultural context and meaning behind the poems they recited.
 
 

Tajikistan

On March 18, the Tajik International University of Foreign Languages launched a new Korean language teacher training program in response to growing local demand for Korean language education, following Tajikistan’s recent designation as a new EPS sending country. The program is being implemented with support from the Korean government to cultivate and certify local Korean language instructors in Tajikistan.
 
 

Thailand

From April 1 to 4, the Faculty of Humanities at Thammasat University held its general admissions process for the 2025 academic year for the Business Korean major. Established in 2023, the Business Korean program is a bachelor’s degree course that emphasizes business communication training. It also offers opportunities for study abroad in Korea for students in their third and fourth years.
 
 

Turkmenistan

From March 17 to 20, the Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages in Turkmenistan conducted a professional development workshop for local Korean language instructors on modern foreign language teaching methods. The workshop featured lectures by Professor Hwang Ho-young of the National Institute of World Languages, instructors Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sung-kyun from KSI Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, and Professor Kim Ji-hyun of Kyonggi Cyber University. The program included discussions on various issues related to online Korean language education.
 
 

I Source

(Netherlands) Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Netherlands website
(Russia) https://rg.ru/
(Vietnam) Insidevina
(China) School of Foreign Languages, Shandong Normal University website
(Tajikistan) https://asiaplustj.info/en/news/tajikistan/
(Thailand) Thammasat University Facebook page
(Turkmenistan) https://www.turkmenportal.com