KSIF Concludes the 2024 Invitational Training
for Outstanding Students

> From October 6 to 12, 222 top learners from KSIs worldwide were given the opportunity to experience Korean culture, embracing both its past and present, in South Korea

> At the 2024 KSI Korean Speaking and Writing Contests, held on October 7, Oberoi Singh Amandeep from the KSI Korean Cultural Center, India and Abiyorova Nafisa from KSI Dushanbe1 were awarded the grand prizes

The King Sejong Institute Foundation(Acting President and Secretary General Bae Jong-min, hereafter referred to as KSIF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism(Minister Yoo In-chon, hereafter referred to as the MCST), successfully hosted the 2024 Invitational Training for Outstanding Students(hereafter referred to as the Invitational Training) from October 6 to 12. It was organized to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Sejong, known as the “Day of King Sejong’s Birth.” Since May, preliminary rounds of the KSI Korean Speaking and Writing Contests were held at KSIs worldwide. These rounds saw participation from 2,874 learners in the speaking category and 1,613 learners in the writing category. A total of 222 top-performing learners from 156 KSIs in 76 countries were selected through these preliminary rounds to participate in the Invitational Training.
 
 

The Invitational Training for Outstanding Students, now in its 15th year, is a major global event for learners of Korean at KSIs. Organized by KSIF, the invitational training invites top learners representing their respective KSIs to South Korea for approximately one week. During the training, participants experience Korean culture and compete in the final round of the KSI Korean Speaking and Writing Contests.

On October 7, the first day of the training, the highly anticipated final round of the KSI Korean Speaking and Writing Contests was held at the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul. After preliminary rounds in May and semi-finals in September, ten finalists in the speaking category and nine finalists in the writing category competed for the top honors. Participants in the speaking contest, dressed in traditional attire from their home countries, showcased their Korean language skills under the theme "Our KSI and My Korean Language Learning Methods." Meanwhile, writing contest participants, dressed in traditional Joseon-era scholar robes, competed in a 60-minute timed writing challenge on the same theme. The grand prizes were awarded to Oberoi Singh Amandeep from the KSI Korean Cultural Center, India for the Speaking Contest and Abiyorova Nafisa from KSI Dushanbe1 for the Writing Contest.
 

Notably, Oberoi Singh Amandeep, the grand prize winner of the speaking contest, drew attention for his work as an interpreter at Samsung SDS in India. Similarly, Abiyorova Nafisa, the grand prize winner of the writing contest, shared her aspiration to study in Korea to learn advanced Korean medical technologies as a 6th-year medical student.

In addition to the grand prizes, a total of seven learners who received top honors such as Excellence Awards and Merit Awards in both speaking and writing categories were given opportunities to participate in language training programs at Korean universities. These training opportunities are sponsored by domestic companies (KB Kookmin Card, Hancom Group) and universities (Dankook University, Duksung Women’s University, Dongguk University, Sogang University, Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan University, and Ewha Womans University).

The 222 outstanding learners participated in a series of cultural experiences during the training. From October 8 (Day 2) to October 10 (Day 4), they visited iconic locations, including the National Museum of Korea, National Hangeul Museum, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, to experience traditional Korean culture. Additionally, they explored modern landmarks such as Lotte Tower, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and the Odusan Unification Observatory, bringing to life the places they had previously only encountered through books or videos.
 

Ayodele Precious Oluwabunmi, a top learner from the KSI Korean Cultural Center, Nigeria, expressed her joy at being invited to South Korea as an outstanding learner. She shared her reflections, saying, “Nigeria has over 500 languages, but it is fascinating that despite this diversity, the official language is English. When I observe Koreans, I sense a strong unifying force among them, which I believe stems from the Korean language. During this invitational training, foreigners from all over the world came together and connected through Korean, forming a bond that transcended borders.”
 
 

Bae Jong-min, Secretary-General of KSIF, shared his thoughts: “Through this year’s ‘KSI Invitational Training for Outstanding Students,’ foreign learners experienced Korea’s unique culture firsthand and connected with one another despite having different native languages, all through the medium of Korean. They also built friendships that will last beyond this program. Moving forward, KSIF remains committed to supporting KSI learners worldwide, helping them achieve their dreams through the Korean language.”
 
 

❬2024 KSI Korean Speaking Contest Winners❭
 

 
❬2024 KSI Korean Writing Contest Winners❭