Korean Echoes Through Cairo’s Traditional Market KSI Korean Cultural Center in Egypt Carries Out the “Korean Language Promotion Project”
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작성일 2026-09-18
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Korean Echoes Through Cairo’s Traditional Market
KSI Korean Cultural Center in Egypt Carries Out the
“Korean Language Promotion Project”
KSI Korean Cultural Center in Egypt Carries Out the
“Korean Language Promotion Project”
> Six KSI learners introduced Korean greetings and expressions for serving tourists to merchants at Khan el-Khalili
> Using self-developed learning materials and YouTube videos, the learners communicated with local residents in Korean
Ahead of the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day, KSI Korean Cultural Center in Egypt conducted the “Korean Language Promotion Project” at Khan el-Khalili, Cairo’s representative traditional market. The project was designed to help learners use the Korean they had studied in the classroom in real-life settings and to introduce the Korean language and culture to local people in Egypt.
◇ Learning and Sharing Korean with Local Merchants
Learners taking part in the Korean Language Promotion Project discussing role assignments and ways to interact with merchants before visiting Khan el-Khalili
A Korean greeting sign created so merchants could use it when welcoming Korean visitors
The learners began preparing the project in April and selected Khan el-Khalili, a popular destination for foreign tourists, as the site for their activities. Ithar Ahmad, a learner in KSI’s Korean Level 6 class, participated as the team leader. A total of six learners took part, including Level 7 and 8 learners Fatma Sayed, Radwa Nabil, Israa Abdelhay, Amira Kamal, and Ahmed Kamel. The learners led the entire process themselves, dividing responsibilities such as filming and editing, Korean language teaching, interviews, and sign design.
Korean learning materials created so merchants could practice writing Hangeul consonants and vowels
by tracing them
by tracing them
A merchant posing with the booklet
“A Meeting of the Nile and the Han River,”
which he received from the learners
“A Meeting of the Nile and the Han River,”
which he received from the learners
The learners taught merchants at Khan el-Khalili basic greetings and Korean expressions they could use when serving tourists. They also participated in every stage, from planning to printing and production, and created and distributed the booklet “A Meeting of the Nile and the Han River,” which introduces Korean culture, along with Hangeul practice materials.
Ahmed Kamel interviewing a merchant to ask what had changed since taking part in the project
At first, some merchants felt awkward because Korean was unfamiliar to them, but they gradually began to participate more actively. Some merchants even tried using the Korean expressions they had learned with Korean tourists in real situations. A few also shared that their children had long been interested in Korean dramas and songs, and that the learning materials they received through the project motivated them to begin studying Korean more seriously.
◇ Korean Beyond the Classroom, Connecting Korea and Egypt
The YouTube channel “Hangeul in Egypt,” which
documents the Korean Language Promotion Project
documents the Korean Language Promotion Project
A Korean tourist who discovered the project through the “Hangeul in Egypt” channel, visiting Khan el-Khalili during a trip to Egypt and meeting the learners
The project also gave the learners a special opportunity to use the Korean they had learned in class in real life. They filmed and edited scenes from the project themselves and continuously shared the process through the YouTube channel “Hangeul in Egypt.” A total of 43 videos were released, recording approximately 16,000 cumulative views. On August 2, the learners also released a final video covering the entire project.
A commemorative photo of the Korean Language Promotion Project team members with their instructor, Teacher Cheon Nu-ri, at the 2026 KSI completion ceremony held at the Korean Cultural Center in Egypt in June
“It was meaningful to use the Korean we learned outside the classroom and become a small bridge connecting Egypt and Korea.”
- Ithar Ahmad, Team Leader
“In Egypt, students do not have many opportunities to meet Koreans or use Korean in real life, so I wanted to create a space where they could apply the Korean they learned in class beyond the classroom.”
- Teacher Cheon Nu-ri
- Ithar Ahmad, Team Leader
“In Egypt, students do not have many opportunities to meet Koreans or use Korean in real life, so I wanted to create a space where they could apply the Korean they learned in class beyond the classroom.”
- Teacher Cheon Nu-ri
Article by Eman Elashker, Correspondent at Online KSI Egypt
