Busan National University Library Hosts Meeting with 'Eomalageul' Author... Lecture by Professor Sanggeum Lee Invited

Special Lecture on the 26th at Saekbyeol Library 1st Floor... New Book 'Eomalagaeul' Giveaway Event

Reexamining the Uniqueness and Status of Korean Language Through Foreigners' First Impressions

Busan National University Library (Director Woo Gyun, Professor of the Department of Information and Computer Engineering) is hosting a special lecture titled "Meeting the Author" by inviting Professor Emeritus Lee Sang-geum of the Department of German Language Education, who has continued research and teaching in Latvia after retiring from Busan National University.

This lecture, under the theme "Eomalageul: Mother’s Speech, Father’s Writing," will be held on the 26th at 10:30 AM on the first floor of Saebyeokmaru in Saebyeokbeol Library at Busan National University. The author’s new book, Eomalageul (2024.11.6. Dudu Books), shares the same theme; "Eomalageul" is an abbreviation of "Mother’s speech and Father’s writing," referring to the roots and first impressions of language embodied during childhood.

The book focuses on how children naturally inherit linguistic knowledge from their parents and, at times, how parents are surprised by their children’s language use. It centers on the concerns of educators teaching Korean to foreigners and the reactions of learners who are newly acquiring Hangul. In particular, it provides an in-depth exploration of the first impressions of Hangul and the Korean language from the perspective of foreigners, drawing significant attention.

Author Professor Emeritus Lee Sang-geum served as a professor in the Department of German Language Education at Busan National University’s College of Education. After retiring, from the spring semester of 2018, she was invited by the Latvian government to teach East Asian culture and Korean literature at the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Latvia, where she witnessed the strong interest and enthusiasm of foreign students toward the Korean language.

Amid the growing global interest in Korea and the Korean language, the new book Eomalageul deeply examines the first impressions of Hangul and Korean as seen by foreigners. It vividly conveys foreigners’ pure perspectives and reactions to uniquely Korean concepts such as "nunchi" (social awareness), "han (恨)" (a deep feeling of sorrow or resentment), and unfamiliar expressions like "our country."

Starting from curiosity about K-culture, the book weaves a virtuous cycle of interest in Korean pronunciation and the form of Hangul as seen in educational settings. Especially in the second part, impressions of Korean written by Latvian university students are presented without any edits, re-examining the uniqueness and status of the Korean language through the eyes of others.

This lecture is open not only to university members but also to the public. Anyone can register in advance or attend on-site by using the registration link posted on the Busan National University Library website’s notice board. An event will be held to give the author’s new book Eomalageul to 50 participants who register in advance.