KORANBOGOR.com-Last May, a special event was held in Thailand. At the request of Thai civic groups, HWPL and IPYG volunteered to give Korean classes in each region. Korean classes were held at Student Union in Nakhon Sawan on May 13, Northern Region School for the Blind in Chiang Mai on the 17th, and Islamic College of Thailand in Bangkok on June 15 and July 18. About 100 citizens participated and learned Korean.
▲ Student Union in Nakhon Sawan
Due to the popularity of K-pop and Korean dramas, interest in Korea in Thailand is steadily increasing. Accordingly, HWPL and IPYG, headquartered in South Korea, opened free Korean classes as an educational activity to spread a culture of peace, and provided opportunities to experience the Korean language and culture directly to Thai youth, who had only been exposed to Korean culture through the media.
Citizens who participated in the Korean class said that it was a meaningful time to understand and learn about Korean culture, and that if people learn about different cultures through such cultural exchange activities, people will be more considerate of others rather than fighting or causing disputes.
The popularity of the Korean class was especially high at Islamic College of Thailand in Bangkok, where about 1,500 students and faculty members joined as HWPL members. So, at the request of the college, Korean language classes have been held every month since last June. Ms. Chollada Suawong, a teacher of Islamic College of Thailand said, “I think understanding other countries’ languages and cultures and cooperating together is the best way to achieve peace. When we do so, we will be able to pass down a peaceful society to our next generation.” emphasizing that the Korean class from HWPL is having a good influence on the students.
A student from Islamic College of Thailand in Bangkok who participated in the Korean class said, “I have been interested in the Korean language for a long time, but it was a pity that I did not have the opportunity to learn it. I am grateful to HWPL and IPYG for conducting such volunteer activities. I hope HWPL can work with our school more often in the future.”
▲ Islamic College of Thailand in Bangkok