Kim Dong-yeon Delivers Video Congratulatory Address at Korean Language Day Event at Indian University... Promotes Cultural Public Diplomacy

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon encouraged the Hangeul Day event held at an Indian university on October 9th through a video congratulatory message and supported event supplies.

Gyeonggi Province announced that Governor Kim Dong-yeon sent a video congratulatory message to the ‘2024 Hangeul Day Event’ hosted by the Korean Language Department at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India from October 8th to 10th, at the request of the Korean Language Department, encouraging students and attendees who love Hangeul and providing event supplies.

In his video message, Governor Kim said, "When I visited India last year, I went to Nehru University. I felt even more delighted as I had thought about cooperation with Nehru University while talking with students at the Nehru University student cafeteria."

He then introduced famous places in Gyeonggi Province such as ‘Yeoju, the city embracing Hangeul, and Paju, a symbol of peace and nature,’ adding, "Gyeonggi Province is the opportunity capital representing the Republic of Korea, and India is a land of infinite possibilities and opportunities," and "I look forward to a special meeting between the youth of India, the land of opportunity, and Gyeonggi Province, the opportunity capital. I sincerely hope you visit Gyeonggi Province, which has all the charms of Korea."

Governor Kim also posted an interview video of Korean Language Department students from Nehru University on his social media (SNS), expressing gratitude for the students’ love for Korea and Hangeul. In the video, some students answered the question ‘What comes to mind when you think of Korea?’ with ‘Guunmong’ and ‘Busan dialect,’ showing the great affection and interest many students have for Korea.

Jawaharlal Nehru University, named after India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, is a national university located in New Delhi and is one of India’s top prestigious universities, ranking 2nd in the 2024 comprehensive university rankings in India.

Additionally, Nehru University was the first university in India to start Korean language education. It opened Korean language courses in 1973 and established the Korean Language Department as a single department in 2013, the first in South Asia, greatly contributing to Korean language education in India and producing Korean language experts who serve as bridges between the two countries.

Recently, as the Korean Wave (Hallyu) has rapidly spread in India, the popularity of the Korean Language Department has surged, recording a competition rate of 3300 to 1 in the 2022 admissions.

Since 2007, the Nehru University Korean Language Department has held Hangeul Day events every year to commemorate Hangeul Day with university students near New Delhi and citizens learning Korean.

This year’s event features a variety of programs including ▲Korean and Indian traditional dance ▲K-pop dance covers and other cultural performances ▲elementary, middle, and high school essay contests ▲Korean song contests ▲Korean quizzes and traditional games competitions ▲and a Korean food festival.