K-Pop and Hangeul at Sookmyung International Summer School (SISS)
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2024-08-08
“I'm happy because I got to learn the dance for my favorite group NewJeans!”
On Tuesday, August 6, “How Sweet” by NewJeans was playing from the speakers of PRIME Building Room B205. But the stars of the show weren’t NewJeans, but international exchange students of Sookmyung International Summer School (SISS). The daily K-pop dance class—just one of the activities as part of the Korean cultural experiences—was led by MAX, the university’s dance club.
Even with the heat wave, you could see the excitement on the students’ faces before class began. After warming up with some easy stretches, MAX members demonstrated the dance on command and taught the students by having them follow the movements.
At first, the movements were stuff and awkward, but with repeated practice, the students got used to the movements and really started to shine. Even during break periods, they asked about different moves and kept that intensity throughout the entire class. After memorizing the entire dance, the students were filmed performing, bringing the memory-filled day to a close.
The mix of students using various languages and from different races showcased how people can be brought together through culture such as K-pop dances. Orzya, a student from Indonesia who is studying Korean language, said, “I'm happy I got to participate in this class and experience K-pop for myself, since I’ve liked it for a long time.”
Korean name writing practice in Hangeul
Another popular class amongst the international students was calligraphy, where students learned what makes Hangeul so special. On Friday, August 1, students from the international cooperation leadership group URINK held a special calligraphy class in PRIME Building Room 202.
The international students learned the history and principles of the Hunminjeongeum, the manuscript that introduced the Korean writing system Hangeul, and then wrote the vowels and consonants for themselves. Step-by-step, the students then learned vocabulary and sentences and were able to write their names in Hangeul.
One of the most acclaimed parts of the class was decorating traditional Korean fans with Hangeul calligraphy. URINK students helped decorate the fans by writing the words or phrases requested by the international students. Each white fan was decorated with a personal style, completed with K-pop lyrics, words of encouragement, and mottos.
Chinese student Shen Liuyang said, “It meant a lot to me to write my own name in Hangeul. I had a really great time.” Min Ji-ae, President of URINK who prepared the event, commented, “I'm happy I got to introduce Hangeul to a lot of new friends from different countries. I was really proud to see how actively and happily they participated.”
Learning Korean culture through international cultural exchange
A special lecture on global Korean music and culture
Started in 2005, SISS is representative international program that is held every summer for students and faculty at Sookmyung’s sister schools to come experience Korean culture. SISS is popular as Sookmyung students can experience cultural exchange with a host of students from different countries while also receiving credits for the summer semester.
The program was temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but started again this year with 33 students from 18 universities in 13 countries, including the UK, the US, Brazil, and Kenya. Starting with the orientation on July 22, four Korea-related lectures were held over a month period: Korean for Foreigners 1; Taekwondo and Korean Sports; Relationship Between Korean Culture and Koreans; and Understanding Korea Through Keywords.
Sookmyung ambassadors also explained the long history of Sookmyung Women's University to the international students.
On top of the lectures, students also got to experience a variety of activities to deepen their understanding of Korean culture, including a DMZ tour, making Korean food, and visiting Gyeongbukgung Palace.
The Office of International Affairs said, “SISS is a great program that provides in-depth education on Korea together with faculty members, allows hands-on Korean culture experiences for international students, and also allows for cultural exchange between people from a variety of countries,” and further added, “We hope that this program increases the global reputation of Sookmyung amongst international students and will help us grow as leaders in the international community.”
Interviewed by: The Sookmyung Times correspondents: Seo Ye-rin (Dept. of Library and Information Science, Class of 2024, 23rd); Woo Ji-yoon (Dept. of Korean Language and Literature, Class of 2024, 23rd); Song Hee-jae (Dept. of Chinese Language and Literature, Class of 2022, 22nd); Jo Jun-hee (Dept. of Political Science and International Relations, Class of 2023, 23rd)