KSIF has appointed foreigner as Honorary ambassadors for the first time. The three Honorary ambassadors appointed this year are Daniel Lindemann, Lucky, and Alberto Mondi, who are all fluent in Korean and known for their media appearances. The three introduce different aspects of Korea in fluent Korean from a foreigner point of view across various media, from TV to YouTube. Who can do the job better than these three, who are confident they can make KSI students feel better connected and heard? We interviewed the three newly appointed KSIF Honorary ambassadors, and asked about their plans going forward.

Hello. Congratulations on being appointed as Honorary ambassadors for KSIF. What was your initial reaction when you first received the proposal? Please tell us how you feel about being appointed as the first foreigner Honorary ambassadors of KSIF.

Daniel: It’s a huge honor. Red Velvet and Lee Min-ho were Honorary ambassadors before us, so it would be an understatement to say that I feel a lot of weight on my shoulders as the first Honorary ambassadors. But of course, I’m grateful and excited as well. As someone from another country who learned the Korean language, I am well aware of the role KSI plays in helping international students make their dreams come true. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spread the charm of the Korean language and culture and demonstrate the importance of cultural communication.

Lucky: Well, first of all, I would like to show my appreciation to King Sejong for creating Hangul. And I’m more than honored to be appointed as the first foreign Honorary ambassaodr for KSIF, as the Korean language has been the most important aspect of my life over the past 28 years.

Alberto: KSI contributes hugely to everyone who is learning the Korean language from all corners of the globe. As someone who loves the Korean language and culture, I’ve been taking an active part in spreading their beauty to people around me. So, when I was asked to be a KSIF ambassador, I felt a sense of fulfillment and honor. Also, I thought “Oh, I guess KSI finally heard about how enthusiastically I’ve been spreading the word.” Because we are from other countries ourselves, we understand how international students who study Korean feel and think better than anyone else. So, we’re confident we can make them feel better connected.

Daniel, you have a very special relationship with KSIF. You once gave a speech at the and also participated as a judge at the . And you are also working as a K-Teacher ambassador to promote the ‘Overseas Korean Teacher (K-Teacher) Program’ hosted by the National Institute of Korean Language. As a German who is fluent in Korean, what do you think it would be like to teach Korean to Germans?

Daniel: Once, I taught German to Korean high school students. I imagined it would go seamlessly because I’m a native speaker of the language. On the contrary, I couldn’t explain certain things because I never academically learned German grammar. I knew what was wrong and what was right, but I couldn’t explain why. So I realized, teaching a language, even if that language is your mother tongue, requires thorough planning and curriculum. In that regard, I would probably have to study a lot before teaching Korean to Germans.

*K-Teacher program: A curriculum operated by the National Institute of Korean Language to enhance the competence of local Korean language instructors. It is currently making efforts to contribute to the establishment of a local self-sustaining Korean language education ecosystem.

Lucky, you also have a special relationship with KSIF. You appeared on Woorimal Battle with some KSI students last June. What was that like, meeting students who speak Korean as well as you three do? Did you also know that there are KSI locations in 84 countries around the world?

Lucky: I was very surprised to find out how fluent the KSI students, who I appeared on Woorimal Battle with, were in Korean even though they were from Brazil, Germany, Vietnam, and India. I learned Korean only after I came to Korea, but they had learned it at a KSI location in their country. They were so fluent that they could explain aspects of their culture to Koreans in Korean. I was very impressed by how Lia, who was from KSI Campanas in Brazil, talked about Samba in Korean and demonstrated it on stage. I only found out recently that KSI has 244 locations in 84 locations around the world, 6 of which are in India, where I come from.

Alberto, this is your second interview with KSIF. During our first interview in March 2022, you said you would study at KSI if you were a teenager in Italy because you would be able to learn Korean from a Korean instructor alongside other students who share the same passion and goal. Between now and then, did you discover any other charms of KSI?

Alberto: KSIF doesn’t just provide financial support for KSI or assign Korean instructors to teach at overseas KSI locations. The foundation is more like a study partner who helps students with a passion for the Korean language and culture learn them in a fun, efficient, and meaningful way. A good example of this is the newly launched ‘Metaverse KSI campus’, which, to me, was very impressive. It is in line with the needs and expectations of the present day, and it’s a cutting-edge technology that transcends the physical distance between students. The foundation is dedicated to connecting students through a variety of ways, including YouTube classes and the KSI mobile app, making sure they get the educational support they need.

The three of you are running a YouTube channel together, by the name of 354 (sam-o-sa). Does the channel name have a special meaning? And what vision does 354 have?

Lucky: One day, the three of us met at my restaurant to decide what to name our channel. We were having this discussion over samosa, which is an Indian dish filled with different ingredients, like fried dumplings. We then had this idea that we should make our channel ‘filled’ with different aspects, like the samosa. It had the same Korean pronunciation as the number 354, which would get our subscribers wondering what it meant. Sometimes, our subscribers make the most creative three-line poems after the channel name and write them in the comments. The one I loved the most goes likes this: “sam(3): sam-o-sa, o(5): oppas sa (4):saranghaeyo”. We would like to use our channel to share everything about Korea, from culture, food, travel, and tradition, to atmosphere, from the perspective of someone who came from outside of Korea and, to actively interact with our subscribers along the way.

Daniel: We want to give different things a try, rather than sticking with a particular topic. Usually, we invite guests and have conversations or do activities together, like going to the mountains.

Alberto: Our channel, 354, has a few purposes. To me, there are about three big purposes to the channel. The first is to have constructive discussions with our subscribers, like how we did in tv show Non Summit. The second is to promote Korean culture and the many tourist attractions in Korea from our point of view. Finally, we want people to have fun and be inspired when they watch our videos. I don’t know if we are doing a good job, but we are definitely trying our best.

Do you see a chance for collaboration between KSI and your channel, featuring KSI students or instructors? (laughs) What else do you look forward to doing as KSI Honorary ambassadors?

Daniel: We are always open to collaborations. I think a collaboration would be meaningful and interesting, particularly for those subscribers who are studying Korean! It will be a chance for us to tell people about what KSI does and help others develop an interest in Korea and its language and culture. It will be great in terms of communication and interaction! (laughs)

Lucky: Of course! (smiles) What about we do a collaboration with KSI students where we visit every single KSI location in 84 countries? As I mentioned earlier, the Korean language has played a huge part in my life. I’ve been constantly thinking about how to make it easy for foreigner, especially Indians, to learn the Korean language. Now that I’m a KSIF Honorary ambassaodr, I am excited to spread the word about how KSI makes learning Korean so much easier. K-content has been gaining popularity in India recently. The 1.4 billion Indian population is becoming more and more interested in the Korean language, with Korean being selected as one of the second languages offered in its education curriculum. As a KSIF Honorary ambassaodr, I would love to see everyone in the world communicating in Korean one day.

Alberto: Our channel and KSI have so much to offer together, so collaboration is a must! People around the world who like Korea and study Korean can practice their Korean listening skills by watching videos on our channel since we make it more understandable than native speakers. They can learn a lot about life in Korea and the local atmosphere from those videos as well. I think it will be a huge motivation for them to see others who live in Korea speak Korean fluently, including ourselves. I would love to promote KSI through various media as a KSIF Honorary ambassaodr, but my goal, for now, is to be as much help as possible to students by sharing my personal experience. Also, I would love to offer any kind of help to KSI instructors who are abroad teaching Korean to international students. For example, I think I could tell the instructors in Italy or Europe, in general, a lot about what they need in terms of getting accustomed to European culture. I could also offer advice on what students over there struggle with when they study Korean, as well as how to make studying easier for them.