Nobel Literature Prize-Winning French Author 'Le Cl?zio' Special Lecture on Korean Literature
The Sejong Institute Foundation announced on the 28th that it will hold the "Opening Ceremony of the Sejong Institute France Branch" at the Paris Korea Center located in the heart of Paris, France. Photo by Sejong Institute Foundation
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] As interest in Korean culture is explosively increasing in France, the demand for Korean language education locally is also rising.
The King Sejong Institute Foundation announced on the 28th that it will hold the "Opening Ceremony of the French Hub King Sejong Institute" at the Paris Korea Center located in the heart of Paris, France.
In December 2021, the Foundation opened the "French Hub King Sejong Institute (Centre fran?ais de l’Institut Roi Sejong)" in Paris to provide systematic Korean language education to learners wishing to study Korean and to efficiently support 21 King Sejong Institutes across 9 countries in Europe. Since its opening, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, full-scale operations began in the second half of this year.
To commemorate the opening and the start of full operations of the French Hub King Sejong Institute, about 100 people including Yoo Daejong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to France, Lee Ilyeol, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in France, local government officials, and education experts will attend the event to celebrate the opening of the King Sejong Institute.
In particular, at this commemorative ceremony, the final lecture of the "10 Distinguished Lectures" planned by the Foundation to mark its 10th anniversary this year will be held. The lecture topic is "My Korea, a Place of Literature and Peace," and the speaker is the French writer J.M.G. Le Clezio, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2008. The author has a deep connection with Korea, having written novels set in Korea such as "Tempest" (2014) and "Shining - Under the Seoul Sky" (2018).
The French Hub King Sejong Institute has been operating 14 classes for beginner and intermediate Korean language courses since September 19. Over 900 applicants applied for the first enrollment, demonstrating the local interest and enthusiasm for learning Korean in France.
Going forward, the French Hub King Sejong Institute plans to offer various Korean language classes and Korean cultural events targeting Korean language learners and the general public interested in Korea within France.
Lee Haeyoung, Chairman of the Foundation, said, "It is meaningful to have the lecture by writer Le Clezio, who has a special connection with Korea, as the final lecture of the 10 Distinguished Lectures at the opening ceremony of the French Hub King Sejong Institute, which will play a major role as a central institution supporting King Sejong Institutes in Europe. We hope that the French Hub King Sejong Institute will contribute to the dissemination of high-quality Korean language and culture tailored to the characteristics of the European region and lead active cultural exchanges between Korea and France."
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