[Spain (Barcelona) = Joint Press Corps - (Seoul) = Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Jung-sook, the First Lady accompanying President Moon Jae-in on a state visit to Spain, visited the Sejong Institute located in Barcelona on the 17th and interacted with Spanish students learning Korean.
Established in 2017, the Barcelona Sejong Institute is an educational institution teaching the Korean language and Korean culture in Spain, currently offering 18 courses including beginner and intermediate Korean language classes.
On this day, the First Lady participated in a class themed on Korean literature and Korea’s national poet Yun Dong-ju, listened to a lecture on Yun Dong-ju’s poem "Prologue," and recited poems such as "Counting the Stars at Night" together with the Sejong Institute students.
She encouraged the students, saying, "Although we live in a socially distanced world due to COVID-19, knowing each other’s language and understanding each other’s culture can narrow the distance between us to zero meters," and added, "I hope you open wide doors with the key of the Korean language."
Alba, a Spanish student who attended the class, said, "Yun Dong-ju is my favorite poet," and shared her thoughts, "Reading Korean poetry helped me understand Koreans and Korea more deeply."
The First Lady gifted the Sejong Institute the first edition Korean and Spanish versions of Yun Dong-ju’s poetry collection "Sky, Wind, Star, and Poem."
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