세종학당재단

KBS 1TV 2025 Quiz On Korea Final Winner Meeting with Mari, a Learner at KSI Tallinn, Estonia

글쓴이홍보협력팀

태그

작성일 2026-01-21

KBS 1TV 2025 Quiz On Korea Final Winner

Meeting with Mari, a Learner at KSI Tallinn, Estonia

2025 Quiz on Korea is an international quiz competition co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). It covers a wide range of topics about Korea, including history, culture, society, and arts, with the aim of raising global interest in and understanding of KoreThis year’s final aired on KBS 1TV on October 8 and featured contestants from 22 countries. We met with Mari, the final winner of this year’s competition and a learner at KSI Tallinn, to hear how learning Korean began as a personal challenge and grew into an experience that opened doors to the wider world.

Q. Hello, Mari! It’s great to meet you, and congratulations on winning first place on KBS 1TV’s 2025 Quiz on Korea! To begin, could you please introduce yourself to the readers of Monthly Knock Knock?

A. Hello! My name is Mari, and I am majoring in English Language and Literature at Tallinn University in Estonia. I am also currently studying Korean at KSI Tallinn. I want to gain a deeper understanding of Korea, so I am preparing to apply to a graduate program in Korean studies. I’m truly delighted to be able to talk with you through this Monthly Knock Knock interview!

Q. What motivated you to participate in this competition?

A. During one of my classes last spring semester, a teacher at KSI Tallinn told us about a quiz competition being held by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in EstoniI’ve always loved playing quiz games with my friends, so as soon as class ended, I looked up information about the competition and started preparing right away. I was ecstatic when I placed first in the Estonian preliminaries, and that gave me the valuable opportunity to advance to the main round held in Korea.

Mari, a learner at KSI Tallinn, Estonia, who advanced to the final round of KBS 1TV’s 2025 Quiz on Korea
(Photo credit = Ehera TV: KBS LIFE YouTube channel)

Q. Quiz on Korea features questions about Korea on a wide range of topics, including history, culture, society, arts, and popular music. Were there any questions that stood out for you, or any areas you found particularly challenging?

A. It was such a meaningful opportunity, so I prepared diligently, and I can still vividly remember the questions that came up. One question in particular turned out to be much trickier than I had expected—it was about the alphabetical, or “ganada,” order of Hangeul. We were asked to choose the word that appears first and the word that appears last in a Korean dictionary from among the following: “friend,” “laughter,” “best friend,” “the day after tomorrow,” “kkakdugi,” and “sky.” I knew the basic consonant order well, but I hadn’t studied the order of double consonants in depth, so I was caught off guard. I wasn’t completely confident, but I carefully worked through the order based on what I had learned, and thankfully, my answer was correct. Out of all 22 finalists who participated in the main round, only two people, including myself, answered correctly, so I think that was one of the most difficult questions in the history of the competition.

Q. How did you prepare for the competition? We’re also curious about what you usually do to build your knowledge about Korea across such a wide range of topics.

A. It was such an important opportunity for me, so I spent almost the entire summer preparing. I began by organizing possible quiz topics into categories and then explored each one in depth, using online resources to guide my study. The scope was incredibly broad, so I prepared for everything from proverbs to food. Since I regularly watch historical Korean dramas, history was the area I felt most confident in. However, I was less familiar with proverbs and traditional culture, so I spent a lot of time strengthening those areas. I mostly used Wikipedia rather than textbooks and expanded my knowledge by following one topic to the next. There are so many great resources available online if you look just a little deeper, and this experience of actively seeking information on my own was a huge help in the competition.

2025 Quiz On Korea group photo of finalists

Q. Hearing about how you prepared for the competition made us curious about how you started learning Korean. What first motivated you to study the language? Also, with so many options for learning Korean, was there a particular reason you chose KSI Tallinn, Estonia?

A. It’s hard to believe that I first started studying Korean nearly ten years ago. Like many people my age, my initial interest began quite casually through K-pop and idols. Over time, however, that interest gradually deepened, and I became increasingly fascinated by Korea as a country. Through dramas and various types of online content, I naturally began learning more about Korean culture and society as well. Later, I made some Korean friends online, which helped me improve my Korean skills little by little.

There was one clear reason I chose KSI Tallinn: I wanted to learn Korean in a more systematic way. Although I felt fairly confident speaking Korean, having studied mostly on my own for a long time, I realized I was missing more subtle grammar points as well as emotional and cultural nuances that are difficult to grasp through self-study alone. Studying at KSI Tallinn helped fill those gaps. Above all, learning and communicating with friends who share a genuine interest in Korea made the entire learning process even more enjoyable.

Mari visiting Korea through the 2025 KSI Outstanding Learners’
Invitational Training and 2025 Quiz on Korea

A commemorative photo taken after
the competition victory with KBS
announcer Lee Jae-sung, who
hosted the program

Q. How did you feel the moment your victory was confirmed at the competition? Please share your thoughts on winning and what this award has come to mean to you.

A. Even now, it still doesn’t feel quite real. It feels almost like a dream. I’m genuinely happy that my efforts were rewarded in this way. When my victory was confirmed, I was of course surprised and my heart was racing, but more than anything, I felt a deep sense of relief, thinking to myself, “I really did it.” This victory feels like much more than just an award; it feels like a new starting point in my life. Throughout the process of preparing for and participating in the competition, I had the chance to meet so many wonderful people. Looking back, it was a truly beautiful experience, and it reminds me just how much love and support I received from everyone around me.

Mari after winning first place in the 2025 Quiz on Korea
(Photo credit = Ehera TV: KBS LIFE YouTube channel)

Q. Do you have any dreams or goals related to the Korean language? Please share them along with a brief plan.

A. At the moment, I am preparing to apply for the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), a program offered by the Korean government for international students. If everything goes according to plan, I hope to begin my graduate studies in Korea next year. During my time in graduate school, I would also like to challenge myself by taking the Korean History Proficiency Test as part of my broader goal to deepen my understanding of Korea.

Q. Lastly, do you have any advice or words of encouragement for learners studying Korean at KSIs around the world?

A. No matter where you come from, or how small your country may seem, if you don’t give up and continue working toward your goals, you can achieve something truly meaningful. I hope my experience can offer encouragement and hope to learners studying Korean around the world, showing them what is possible with persistence and passion. I wish all KSI learners the very best as they continue their journeys with the Korean language.