The awards ceremony for the 2nd Internet Korean Olympiad, an online Korean language competition held across Vietnam, took place on April 12. The competition was jointly organized by the Korean Cultural Center, Vietnam, and VTC Online, a subsidiary of Vietnam’s national broadcaster VTC. The competition drew students from across the country, ranging from third-grade elementary school students to third-year high school students, who demonstrated their Korean language skills through two final rounds held on January 18 and March 29. To ensure academic integrity, the examination materials were curated by Korean language education specialists and strictly aligned with the curriculum standards mandated by Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training. A total of 306 students were recognized for their exceptional performance, with elementary students receiving 37.9% of the honors, followed by middle school students at 52.6%, and high school students at 9.5%.

The ceremony also featured a variety of Korean cultural experience programs, including traditional games such as tuho (throwing arrows into a jar), ttakji-chigi (folded paper tile game), and gonggi-nori (Korean jacks), along with hanbok and traditional craft activities.

Dispatched teachers at the KSI Korean Cultural Center, Vietnam, helped operate an immersive cultural workshop, where students created traditional Korean doorbells. These experiential programs provided a vital entryway into Korean culture, allowing participants to cultivate a deeper affinity for Korean traditions while simultaneously bolstering their enthusiasm for linguistic studies.

Bui Nguyen Anh Ngoc, a student from Class 8A6 at Nguyen Binh Khiem Middle School in Hanoi, said, “I could really feel how thoughtfully the organizers prepared the event, and I’m grateful for the experience. I definitely want to participate again next year.”

Another student from the same class, Nguyen Le Huyen Trang, said, “I was able to gain a deeper understanding of traditional Korean culture, and I had many new experiences while learning Korean.”

Choi Hyun-joo, who led the cultural program, reflected on the significance of the event, saying, “It was very rewarding to personally introduce Korean culture at an event celebrating the passion and hard work of Korean language learners across all academic levels, from elementary through high school students. Whenever I heard them sincerely say ‘Thank you’ in Korean, even if imperfectly, I felt a strong sense of pride and mission as a Korean language teacher.”

By offering a wide range of initiatives in collaboration with partner organizations, the KSI Korean Cultural Center, Vietnam, continues to serve as a cornerstone for the advancement of the Korean language and traditional arts in the country. Moving forward, it plans to further expand experiential and participatory programs so that more people can engage with the Korean language and Korean culture in accessible and enjoyable ways.

Article by Duong Thi Hong Van, Correspondent at the KSI Korean Cultural Center, Vietnam