Students from 30 countries gather in Seoul to learn Korean language and culture

Ninety-two students and teachers from 30 countries wrapped up a five-day immersive camp hosted by the Ministry of Education.

A group of 92 secondary school students and teachers from 30 countries completed a five-day immersive journey into Korean language and culture, concluding a nationwide youth camp organized by the Ministry of Education.

To mark the end of the 2026 International Korean Education Youth Camp, the ministry and the International Korean Education Foundation held a celebratory ceremony Tuesday evening at Sarangjae, a traditional guest house on the National Assembly grounds in Seoul.

Running from Friday to Tuesday across Seoul and Incheon, the camp brought together students enrolled in Korean language classes at their home schools. This year’s cohort welcomed its first-ever participant from Mexico, alongside students from Malaysia and Uzbekistan who were recently featured in a KBS documentary aired on Hangeul Day, the Oct. 9 national holiday celebrating the Korean alphabet.

During the program, participants engaged in level-tailored Korean lessons leveraging artificial intelligence. Beyond the classroom, they explored historic landmarks, including Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, and sampled iconic street foods like “tteokbokki,” Korea’s signature spicy simmered rice cakes. The students also studied “Sejong 1446” — a musical depicting King Sejong’s 15th-century creation of Hangeul — and prepared a live performance for the closing ceremony.

The camp featured a literature contest where students recited and interpreted works from Korean school textbooks, with Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin on hand to present awards to the top three finalists.

Phung Khanh Linh of Vietnam presented Yi Chong-jun’s classic 1977 short story “The Snowy Road,” a textbook staple exploring themes of maternal sacrifice and unpayable filial debt through the memory of a mother walking her son to the bus along a snow-covered mountain path.

Siriwardena Chanthuki Thathyana of Sri Lanka recited Hwang Ji-u’s famous 1997 poem “While Waiting for You,” a staple of Korean literature that frames waiting not as passive resignation, but as an active, urgent journey of love toward an inevitable arrival.

Prasista Zharafah Mulia of Indonesia performed Oh Sae-young’s lyric poem “Like a Star, Like a Flower,” which uses vivid natural imagery to reflect on living a pure, illuminating life despite transient worldly hardship.

Reflecting on her selection, the Sri Lankan student shared that she viewed the “you” in Hwang’s poem as representing Korea itself — explaining that rather than passively waiting for a dream to materialize, she felt inspired to actively pursue and create her own opportunities.

Launched in 2019 as a regional exchange with Southeast Asian nations, the program expanded globally in 2022 to welcome Korean language learners worldwide.

“Meeting peers from around the world here in Korea will serve as powerful motivation for these students to continue their language journey,” Choi said. “I hope they grow into global leaders who maintain strong ties with Korea.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.