“I want to serve as a bridge
connecting people and cultures.” A Conversation with Ma Hyun-joo,
Operation Staff and Participant of the
2025 KSI Workshop in North America

Ma Hyun-joo, Operation Staff at KSI Montreal, Canada, has been part of the institute since its early days. From June 11 to 13, she participated in the 2025 KSI Workshop in North America, reflecting on the ongoing efforts of KSIs across the region and exploring future directions for growth. We spoke with Ma Hyun-joo about her impressions of the workshop and her aspirations as an Operation Staff member dedicated to developing KSI Montreal into a key hub for Korean culture in North America.

Hello, Ma Hyun-joo from the Operations Team! It’s a pleasure to meet you. To begin, could you please briefly introduce yourself to the readers of Monthly Knock Knock and tell us about the KSI where you currently work?
 

Hello. My name is Ma Hyun-joo, and I work as part of the Operation Staff at KSI Montreal, Canada. Montreal is a city located in the province of Quebec in eastern Canada, and it is culturally closer to the French-speaking world. As a multicultural immigrant society, it offers the charm of experiencing diverse cultures and cuisines. At the same time, with nearly half the year being winter, it’s a dynamic city where residents are passionate about everyday sports like ice hockey.

Although the Korean Wave (Hallyu) didn’t spread as rapidly here as it did in the United States or other English-speaking metropolitan areas, interest in Korea has gradually increased—especially after the global COVID-19 pandemic, as more people began watching Korean dramas on Netflix. As a result, demand for travel to Korea has grown, and interest in Korean culture has become more widespread. In the past, most learners at KSI Montreal, Canada were younger people taking courses as a hobby. Recently, however, learners from a wider range of age groups have been coming to study Korean language and culture.
 
 

How long have you been working as part of the Operation Staff at KSI Montreal, Canada? What led you to take on this role locally, and how has the experience influenced you?
 

I obtained my Korean language teaching certification in 2016 and immigrated to Canada the following year, where I began teaching Korean to local residents. Since 2016, the Sejong Team under the Korean-Quebec Foundation, which operates KSI Montreal, Canada, has been using Sejong Korean textbooks to teach Korean locally. I initially worked there as a Korean language teacher, and in June 2019, when KSI Montreal was officially designated as a new KSI, I began serving as full-time Operation Staff.

Transitioning from teacher to part of the Operation Staff came with its challenges, but the joy of being part of KSI’s growth far outweighed the difficulties. By applying for and managing various programs offered by the KSIF, I was also able to collaborate with other organizations such as the Korean Food Promotion Institute and the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation. These partnerships allowed us to introduce a wide range of Korean cultural content to the local community and provide our learners with valuable benefits. Seeing how excited and enthusiastic the learners were throughout these experiences moved me deeply and gave me a strong sense of fulfillment.
 
 

Learners at KSI Montreal, Canada participating in a kimchi-making event Learners at KSI Montreal, Canada taking part in a taekwondo class

You attended the 2025 KSI Workshop in North America, held from June 11 to 13. Was there a particular moment during the workshop that stood out to you the most?
 

This workshop was an opportunity for both “gratitude” and “renewed commitment.” Among the special lectures, I found the sessions on learner-centered backward design and exploring the global influence of Hallyu content especially engaging. I plan to share these insights with our teachers at KSI Montreal, Canada through upcoming meetings and internal seminars.

The presentations on KSI operations and case studies were also highly valuable. Listening to how each KSI in North America is actively engaging local residents through various cultural programs, events, and hands-on experiences tailored to their specific regional contexts was truly inspiring and relatable. It was a meaningful time that allowed me to reflect on our own efforts at KSI Montreal and consider the direction we should pursue in the future. Among the many programs we applied for this year, I am especially committed to making the most of the Sejong Culture Academy and the Overseas Cultural Internship Program, with a focus on showcasing the appeal of Korean culture and building closer connections with our students.
 
 

Ma Hyun-joo, Operation Staff, introducing
KSI Montreal, Canada at the 2025 KSI Workshop
in North America KSI Montreal, Canada representatives participating
in the workshop

This year’s workshop included a session on National Subsidy Accounting Procedures for directors and Operation Staff. Were there any key takeaways or new insights you gained from this training?
 

The National Subsidy Accounting Procedures session, led by accountant Na Hee-jae, who oversees the North America region, was extremely helpful for Operation Staff. Although I’ve been handling accounting tasks for over six years, this training was a valuable opportunity to revisit and clearly organize important information. In particular, I gained a better understanding of the need to strictly follow KSIF guidelines when executing payments for expert invitations and travel expenses related to events. Given that we expect to host more cultural programs in the future, I plan to handle these processes with even greater care moving forward.
 
 

This workshop also served as a valuable opportunity for KSI personnel across North America—including directors, Operation Staff, and teachers—to come together and exchange ideas. Was there anything in particular that you learned or felt through your interactions with other KSI representatives in the region?
 

Most of the KSIs participating in this workshop were affiliated with universities, while only two—like KSI Montreal, Canada—were independently operated by nonprofit foundations. These included KSI Irvine and KSI San Francisco, both run by Korean community centers.

As a KSI operated by a Korean cultural center, KSI Montreal, Canada carries a strong sense of responsibility to offer Korean language and culture programs from a broader, more inclusive perspective. For learners such as adoptees, multicultural families, and second-generation immigrants, the opportunity to study Korean language and culture can often feel even more urgent and meaningful than for local non-Koreans. Together with the other two independent KSIs, we discussed the importance of expanding our target audiences and diversifying our programs from the planning stage. In particular, we received helpful advice from a KSIF representative, who suggested that special courses under KSIF’s specialization initiatives could be an effective way to reach underserved communities. This insight was especially meaningful and helpful for our future planning.
 
 

End-of-term ceremony at KSI Montreal,
Canada in 2025 KSI Montreal, Canada representatives
at the 2025 KSI Workshop in North America

Finally, could you share the goals you hope to achieve at KSI Montreal, Canada? We’d also love to hear about your personal aspirations as part of the Operation Staff.
 

KSI Montreal, Canada has set a clear mid- to short-term goal of growing into a center for Korean culture in the North and East American regions, and we are steadily progressing through each stage to reach that goal. We are expanding the institute’s scale, diversifying special courses in the cultural sector, operating a wide range of programs supported by KSIF, and strengthening external partnerships. Through these efforts, we are delivering even more dynamic cultural content to local residents. Thanks to recent investments by the operating organization, we have relocated to a larger facility and enhanced our cultural experience infrastructure. The construction of a Korean Culture Experience Center is steadily nearing completion. In a city like Montreal, where there is no Korean Cultural Center, our KSI has grown beyond being simply a Korean language institute—it is becoming a trusted and recognized platform for engaging local residents with Korean culture.

As part of the Operation Staff at KSI Montreal, Canada, I aim to actively serve as a cultural ambassador for Korea both within and outside the institute. As the person responsible for operations, I will follow KSIF’s guidelines and ensure the institute is run in alignment with the development goals of our operating organization. Externally, as a member of the Korean community, I want to help our community contribute more to the broader society, and at the same time, act as a bridge so that when members of the mainstream community turn their attention to Korean culture, they are met with warm smiles and understanding nods.