Joo-young Song, Operation Manager

Could you introduce yourself and your institute?

Hello. I’m Joo-young Song, manager at KSI Manama, Bahrain.

I used to work as an English teacher at Hwalcheon primary school in Gimhae, South Korea and since August 2017, I’ve been working at KSI Manama. Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Bahrain runs our institute and this year marks its third anniversary. Though there are not even 200 Korean residents in Bahrain, local youths are really interested in Korea. Our KSI is the only place where you can experience Korean language and culture in Bahrain. Now the institute has so become big that we have more than 300 students every year, along with two other Korean faculty staffs I work with a strong sense of responsibility.

 

​ Tell us about Bahrain where the institute is situated.

Bahrain, which means two seas, is an island in the Persian Gulf. It’s about half the size of Jeju Island and accommodates about 1.5 million people. Manama, where our institute is located, is the capital of Bahrain. Though it is an Islamic country, it’s liberal and even called as 'Las Vegas on the Gulf'. There are shops where you can buy drinks and pork, as well as a movie theater. Additionally, people from various countries such as India and Pakistan live in Bahrain. English is widely spoken so it is relatively easy to get by without learning Arabic. Can you believe that there is Korean wave or Hallyu in such a small country? Local teenagers go wild after BTS and they learn Korean to write fan letters to Exo.

 

​ How is your life in Bahrain?

I’m satisfied with my life here that I don’t want to leave Bahrain now. Of course, it was quite hard at the beginning. My family opposed because there is a prejudice in Korea towards Islamic countries and some tend to associate them with radical Muslims. Also my daughter, who is in the seventh grade this year, struggled in an international school where only English is spoken. But now we live happily here thanks to foreigner-friendly culture of Bahrain. For example, some time ago we had a flat tire on the road and a Bahraini passerby changed the tire for us, and there is a strong local culture of helping each other. So, in fact, Bahrain has been selected as the best place for expats to live.

 

​ What are characteristics of KSI Manama students?

Bahraini people are tolerant towards other cultures. For example, when I introduce Korean culture of eating fried chicken and beer together, or pork belly in class, all the students take it quite interesting. Furthermore, there are many students who consider teachers as their parents and volunteer to work for me and the institute. Thanks to this, I have been able to manage various events at the institute.

Of course, they have a firm will to follow Islamic rules in their daily lives while respecting other cultures. So, when we operate the institute, we strive to respect Islamic culture as well. For an instance, some students in Bahrain use niqab to cover most of their faces except for their eyes. Then, it’s difficult to read their lips so we pay extra attention to correct their pronunciation. In Muslim countries, women are not allowed to dance in front of men. So, when we had a K-pop dance class at Sejong Cultural Academy we conducted the class by placing male students in front and female students at the back.

 

​ What is the key project of KSI Manama in 2019?

In 2019, our major project is to open a Korean language course at Bahrain Polytechnic University. We’ve already opened Korean language courses; 3 courses at University of Bahrain and 8 courses at Ahila University in the second half of 2018. Currently, South Korean Embassy in Bahrain is striving to make Bahrain Polytechnic University as the third university to open a Korean language course.

 

​ Please share a story of your most memorable student.

I’d like to introduce Sara Belal, who has overcome eating disorders while learning Korean. Sara has completed Beginner’s course 2B (Sejong Korean 4) and has been attending KSI over two years. She won ‘KSI Manama Speech Contest 2018’ and participated in the 'Study-Tour Award Program for Outstanding KSI Students 2018’ in October. Despite impressive records, Sara used to lock herself in her room for a long time due to eating disorders. In the meantime, Sara, as she liked Korean dramas, went out of her house twice a week to attend Korean classes at our institute. Gradually, she did not only improve her Korean language skills but also got back to herself again after meeting her classmates. Now she is in charge of Korean cultural events of our institute and even writes a cultural column in a Bahraini newspaper. Sara's parents appreciate that Sara has overcome and become happy via her Korean classes. It’s amazing to see how culture has a strong power and how KSI students change via Korean language and culture.

 

​ How do you want KSI Manama to further develop?

I’d like it to be a place where people can fully enjoy Korean language and culture beyond the classes. In Bahrain, there aren’t many opportunities to use Korean when you step outside the classroom. I hope that in the near future, there will be an AV room where people can watch Korean movies and dramas, a space where a small club meeting of Korean language and Korean culture can take place, and another separate space for people to enjoy reading Korean books.