Dankook University to hold Korean speech contest in Hungary

Dankook University announced on Wednesday that it would hold a Korean speech contest hosted by its president in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary on Monday (local time) to celebrate Hangul Day. The content was held for the first time in 2015 to promote the exchange of languages and culture to develop a friendly relationship between South Korea and Hungary.

About 300 people, including students of the Department of Korean Studies of Eotvos Lorand University and King Sejong Institute, will participate in the contest with the topic of “South Korea that makes my heart flutter.” Participants will present individual speeches on the Korean language and culture, Korean food and history, and K-pop. Five contestants will be selected to win an opportunity to study the Korean language at Dankook University for a short term.

Dankook University has worked with Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Eotvos Lorand University, Semmelweis University, and the University of Pecs by dispatching professors and supporting Korean studies. The South Korean university also sent its dance company to the National Theatre in Budapest for a performance to showcase the Korean traditional culture in 2014 and 2016. “We will continue to dispatch Korean language teachers and support educational infrastructure to promote the Korean Wave and cultural exchanges between the two countries,” said Kim Soo-bok, the president of Dankook University.

President Kim will hold a poetry recital and special lecture on the topic of “a language becoming the light” to celebrate Korean literature week at the University of Salamanca in Spain, a sister university of Dankook University. He will recite “Le Banc du temps qui passe,” “Wuthering Heights,” “Waning Moon,” “Camellia Flower,” and “Post Office in the Sky.”

He will deliver a special lecture on “joy of writing poems” with famous Spanish poet Antonio Colinas after the recital. The lecture will be joined by Queen of Spain Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano and President of the University of Salamanca Ricardo Rivero Ortega, as well as over 400 Spanish citizens. President Kim’s book of poetry titled “Post Office in the Sky” was published in Spanish in January 2020.


lkj@donga.com