Gyeongbuk Province Hosts Indonesian University Students' 'Korean Speaking Contest'... 65 Participants Join Remotely

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Gyeongbuk Province held a 'Korean Speaking Contest' on the 26th with Indonesian university students participating.

This contest was organized as part of the Korea-Indonesia humanities exchange project. It was an event to introduce Korean and Gyeongbuk culture to university students in Indonesia, where the Korean Wave is currently popular.

In the preliminary round, 65 university students from 47 universities across Indonesia participated by choosing one of the topics: 'Gyeongsangbuk-do as I Know It,' 'Exchange between Local Governments of Korea and Indonesia,' or 'Dokdo Story.'

About 10 finalists demonstrated their Korean speaking skills with thorough preparation about Gyeongbuk Province. Among them, student Alifa Sifa Patia, who presented on the topic 'Territory of the Republic of Korea, Dokdo,' won first place with outstanding Korean proficiency.

Alifa Sifa Patia, the winner, said, "I was very happy to showcase the Korean language skills I have honed so far and to have the opportunity to learn about Gyeongbuk Province. I definitely want to visit Gyeongbuk after the end of COVID-19."

Bae Seong-gil, Director of the Job Economy Office of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "We hope this contest will continue as a substantial project, and next year we plan to expand and hold the contest locally in Indonesia."

Meanwhile, Gyeongbuk Province established a sisterhood agreement with Yogyakarta Province in Indonesia in 2005, and later in 2017, it also formed a friendship exchange with West Java Province. Through exchanges in Saemaul, culture, and sports, various cooperation projects have been ongoing in multiple fields.