‘I love Korea, Korean Language, and King Sejong Institute!’

2016 Korean Culture Study for KSI Learners Successfully Held

The 2016 Korean Culture Study for KSI Learners held in Seoul and Gangwon-do from September 1 through 8 was successfully concluded. With the topic ‘Korea Visited through Cultural Heritage’, the event drew 146 best learners of KSI from 54 countries.

Korean Culture Training from Specialists

The 146 participants learned about Samulnori, Talchum, Taekwondo, K-Pop songs and dances. Each learner had to choose one out of these multiple contents in a prior survey. After the three-day-session delivered from experts from the National Gugak Center, Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, and Korea National Sports University, they showed what they learned at the Closing Ceremony. Michael Wigley from the London British Council KSI branch said it was the first time to learn about Samulnori and was really fun to join in and partake in dancing and beating a Korean drum. Meanwhile, the K-Pop dancing class group gave a perfect performance despite having only a short time to practice and received a big round of applause.

Various Experience Activities Offered – e.g. Viewing the Natural Landscape and Flying Wish Lanterns

September 3 and 4, the participants visited Gangwon-do to view and admire Seoraksan Mountain firsthand, which they had only previously seen in photos in the Sejong Korean before. They also experienced Tea Drinking and contemplative walking exercises at a temple. Cabal Lenka Ollya from the Minsk branch in Belarus said, “It’s thrilling to directly experience the mountain environment since we do not have mountains in Belarus. I am so excited.” Moreover, the attenders visited a PR Hall for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, experienced sports selected for the games such as curling, and collectively made a wish for the event to be successfully held. In the evening on the 3rd, they joined Pyeongchang Hyoseok Cultural Festival where they released Wish Lanterns towards the sky.

Helped Learners to Better Understand Korean Culture through Various Experience Programs

On September 5, the participants, wearing their own countries’ traditional clothing and Hanbok, sent greetings to Korean people on the occasion of Korean Thanks Giving Day in front of a Statue of King Sejong the Great. After that, they visited major tourism spots in Seoul such as Cheonggyecheon, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Gwanghwamun Gate during which they learned everyday conversational expressions in Korean. Furthermore, at the Korean food culture hall of the cel Venture Complex, the participants learned about Korean food culture by making Korean tea confectioneries and Injeolmi. On the 6th, 20 finalists for the Korean Language Speaking Contest visited KBS and received special pronunciation instructions from announcers Lee Seung-Hyun, Bae Chang-Bok, and Kim Seon-Geun.

Grand Prize for Korean Language Speaking Contest went to Learners from Iran and Uzbekistan

On September 7, the Korean Language Speaking Contest was held at KBS Art Hall. Dignitaries such as Jeong Gwan-Ju, Vice Minister for Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Oh Young-Hun, Congressman of The Minjoo Party of Korea participated in the event and encouraged the finalists. In the welcoming speech, Jeong Gwan-Ju said, “We will strive to actively support the popularizing of the Korean language so that learners can work in various fields using their Korean language skills.” The Grand prize went to Hanya Sadat Kazemi (Beginner’s Level, Teheran branch in Iran) and Yusupova Parijod (Intermediate Level, Tashkent branch in Uzbekistan). 6 prize winners receiving the grand prize, excellence prize, and best prize will have the opportunity to learn Korean language at Ewha Women's University, Kyunghee University, Dongseo University, Daegu University, and Gimcheon University on scholarships. Banpo & Seorae Branch of Woori Bank sponsored the gifts for Popularity prize and Participation prize winners.
TV Presenter Daniel Lindemann, who was a judge for the contest, said, “I am so proud of all the participants. They showed us their great Korean language fluency skills.”

Continued Support Promised for KSI Learners who Love Korea

The event was a good opportunity for KSI learners from around the world to gather and communicate with each other in the Korean language, cementing their already strong affection toward the language and culture. The foundation plans to keep supporting the Korean Culture Study for KSI Learners so that Korean language enthusiasts can utilize their Korean language skills in various fields.