Summer K-camps gain popularity (2024)

Students in the Korean Language and Culture Course practice the Korean martial art "taekwondo" at a gym in Keimyung University in Daegu, in the southeastern part of Korea, Aug. 6. / Courtesy of Keimyung University

Foreign students choose cultural immersion

By Park Jin-hai

Summer is the season for camps of every kind in and outside of the country. Students venture out from the usual boundaries of their classrooms and try to experience something different and new that may enrich their lives.

Some 62 university students, mainly from Germany and Japan, visited the southeastern city of Daegu for that reason, spurred by an interest in Korea ranging from K-pop to traditional Korean cities and culture.

"This is my second time at a cultural program visiting historical sites. My first visit was in Gyeongju, which was splendid and unique," said Valeria Quiring, 21, from Germany, who was a part of the "2013 Korean Language and Culture Course" at Keimyung University in Daegu.

She said Korean movies were her first encounter with Korean culture. That later led her to other areas of Korean culture, including Korean history.

Ueda Risa, 19, from Japan, is a big fan of the Korean girl band Girls' Generation. "I play their music over and over. Then, to understand the lyrics, I started watching Korean dramas as well as studying Korean," she said.

Participants, wearing traditional "hanbok" costumes during a Korean etiquette class, practice a tea ceremony at "hanhak-chon," a replica of a traditional village within the university on Aug. 6.

Ueda says that the best part of the program is that it offers a chance to talk with Korean students of a similar age group. "Instead of reading about Korea in a lifeless way in textbooks, I am happy to communicate with lively and contemporary Koreans," she added.

All of these students came to Korea just for the program. They bore their own expense, including plane tickets and tuition, getting no financial support from any organization. "Without a genuine interest in Korea and its culture, this program could not be held," said Hwang Hyo-soon, coordinator of the program.

According to Hwang, since the program was introduced in 2002, the number of participants has been increasing every year. With four participants in 2002, the number grew to 169 in 2012, attributed to ‘hallyu' or the Korean wave. She said, however, that partly due to the depreciation of the Japanese yen, the number of participants this year has decreased to one third of the average number of attendees. She expects the number of participants to be back on track next year, however.

During the three week program held Aug. 5 - 23, participating students will attend Korean classes in the morning and later go on field trips and do cultural activities. This include activities such as learning the Korean martial art "Taekwondo," making Korean fans, K-pop dancing and spending a day at a "Jjimjil bang" or Korean style sauna, as well as city tours to historic sites in the vicinity.

Since last year, the program has recently added K-pop dancing classes. This year students will learn the dance moves to Psy's "Gentleman" and SISTAR's "Give it to me." Also popular is the trip to the ‘Jjimjil bang,' where students will visit a local sauna to learn more about leisurely activities people do in Korea.

"Students have shown great interest in this, as the ‘jjimjil bang' trip can involve going to various small saunas and spas with different themes. They wear funny ‘sheep head' towels like those seen on TV dramas and eat smoked eggs," said Hwang.

The Center for International Education and Development, the organizer of the program, said that its main focus is to introduce Korean tradition and culture. Hwang says that although there are many similar programs running in the Seoul area, they often end up showcasing how much Korea has developed, with occasional visits to traditional villages.

"We have historic sites such as Gyeongju and Andong, which were the epicenters of Korean Buddhism and Confucianism. At the same time we have Pohang and Ulsan that can give a glimpse of what modern Korean society is like," said Kim Seon-jung, director of the center.

"Although it is a language course, it is also a way for us to raise awareness about Korea and its culture among foreigners in a more balanced way," Kim added, revealing her future plans for further expansion of the program.