Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Teenage Chinese students learn more about Dokdo
Some 10 middle and high school students from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, in China, listen to the museum guide at the Dokdo Museum in Seodaemun, Seoul, Tuesday. / Korea Times
By Park Jin-hai
By Park Jin-hai
A group of Chinese middle and high school students were excited to tour a museum for Dokdo in Seoul, Tuesday.
“Even though I knew of the name Dokdo, I hardly knew anything about it until I visited here,” said Qu Yuan, a 14-year-old middle school student from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.
He was among the 10 middle and high-school students that the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) invited to Korea and visited the Dokdo Museum in Seodaemun, Seoul Tuesday.
“I already knew about Dokdo from TV and newspapers. Korea is not far from China. I am interested in everything about Korea,” said Wang zekua, 13, a fellow student who is on his first visit to Korea.
The cultural exchange program, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Zhenjiang Municipal Education Bureau, brought the sixth batch Monday.
The NAHF has been organizing the annual event since 2008, to give Chinese students the chance to learn about Korean culture as well as history.
“When 75 percent of foreign students studying in Korea came from China, and bilateral trade runs as high as today, it becomes more important to build trust on the bases of mutual understanding,” said Kim Hyun-chul, director of the NAHF’s public relations office.
During the five-day trip, they will visit historic places such as Gyeongbok palace and Bukchon Hanok village in Seoul as well as the demilitarized zone near Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
During an-hour-long tour of the museum, the students’ eyes were fixed on chronological charts, video clips and a 1/120th replica of Dokdo, taking pictures of them from time to time.
This time some 10 students from Choong Ang High School in Jongno, Seoul, will participate in the program. Those “National Trust” school club members will visit Imjingak near the demilitarized zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, with visiting Chinese. And they will hold a discussion on Northeast Asia’s peace and prosperity there.
The NAHF has been hosting a series of events that promote exchanges of culture and historical research activities. Recently it held a thesis competition where some 84 teams comprising jointly of university students of both countries competed for the best prize.