Ja Min, Head of Yanbian 1 KSI, China

Could you introduce yourself and your institute?

I’m Ja Min, head of Yanbian 1 KSI, China. At the same time, I’m also a professor at a university. I have been teaching Korean at Yanbian University of Science and Technology for 16 years. Yanbian 1 KSI was established in 2007. It is an old institute as it’s been 11 years. There are 5 Korean language teachers and about 300 students annually. Various courses are offered, ranging from beginner level 1A to intermediate level 1B (Sejong Korean 1~6). Also all the classes are held from 6 to 8 pm. So, there are many students who attend the classes after their work.

 

​ Tell us about Yanbian where the institute is situated.

Yanbian is adjacent to China, Russia, and North Korea. It’s a wonderful location as the Tumen River flows along the border with a magnificent view of Baekdu Mountain. It’s not a strange place where you can see Korean signboards wherever you go as there are a lot of ethnic Koreans living in China. Additionally, winter lasts long with a lot of snow in Yanbian. So, if you live here, you can enjoy beautiful sceneries of snow.

 

​ Please share major strength of Yanbian 1 KSI.

At our KSI, we have diverse students with a wide range of ages and occupations. From primary school students to retirees in their 60s, as well as office workers, businessmen, and government officials. So people from diverse backgrounds come together and learn Korean in one classroom. If you see the students encouraging each other and learning Korean, it looks like a family.

 

​ What are the areas to be improved at your institute?

Since each student’s level of Korean language differs, I teach Korean according to the average level of learners. Consequently, it is rather difficult to cater for students with advanced level. So we plan to provide different teaching methods according to the level of the students. I and faculty members are putting the heads together to solve the issue.

 

​ When is the most rewarding moment as the head of KSI?

I feel most rewarded at a completion ceremony. On this day, all members of KSI feel rewarded for their hard work and efforts. Students hand me chocolates or sweets and express their gratitude for the opportunity to learn Korean. That’s the moment when I feel so happy as if all my troubles have disappeared. Also, the students feel content that they have completed one semester, and teachers feel so proud to see their students laughing and talking in Korean. So on this day the entire institute is filled with sense of accomplishment.

 

​ What is your major concern these days?

These days, I am seeking ways to help students who work and study at the same time. I want them to pursue their studies of Korean language for a longer period. At our KSI there are a lot of students who work. Most of them come to the institute after their office hours. Of course, they would be too tired in classes. Also they often miss their classes due to overtime work or business trips. So, many of the students who have a full-time job would often drop out. I would like to motivate and help them to pursue their studies. If anyone has a good suggestion, please do share it with us!

 

​ What is Yanbian 1 KSI focusing on at the moment?

We are focusing on promoting the institute via social media (SNS). Since last year, we have opened an account of WeChat, the biggest mobile messenger in China, and all of our KSI students have joined. We use WeChat to announce the institute’s news to our students and also receive suggestions from them. Thanks to it, a word of mouth has spread via our students’ WeChat and more people are interested in our institute.

 

​ What kind of hardship do you face as the head of KSI?

Handling KSI administration can be a challenge. Sometimes, the administrative tasks required by the foundation can be somewhat overwhelming. As we are an institute promoting Korean language and culture, we are not familiar with administrative tasks. I hope the foundation understands our circumstances.

 

​ What is the institute’s most popular cultural event among Chinese?

The most popular event is our K-pop competition. We host a K-pop contest in every November. This year marks the 7th competition already. The contest consists of two categories: singing and dancing. Last year, 12 teams participated in the competition. Participants invest a lot of efforts and practice their K-pop dances or songs to win. It is a contest where you can feel the heat of the Korean Wave in Yanbian.

 

​ How do you want Yanbian 1 KSI to further develop?

I hope that Yanbian 1 KSI goes beyond a language institute and becomes an education center which contributes to local community. Even at this moment, we strive to do so. For an instance, when the second semester commences the weather in Yanbian gets really cold. Especially, all our classes are conducted in the evening and all our students attend classes despite such cold weather. So we serve a hot tea to our students. Thanks to this, the students warm up their body and mind before the classes, and also they have become closer to the staffs of the institute. Just like a warm cup of tea on a winter's day, we strive to become an institute that will share the warmth to the people in Yanbian.