How 18th-century royal memoir sparked UAE student's love for Korean
Students attend a Korean language class at the King Sejong Institute Center Sharjah, located within the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Feb. 10. Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates — For 16-year-old Nawara Alzari, it wasn’t the global craze of K-pop or K-dramas that ignited her fascination with the Korean language. Rather, it was a single historical memoir — one that introduced her to an 18th-century Korean crown princess she had never heard of before: “The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong.”
Lady Hyegyeong (1735-1816) was the wife of the ill-fated Crown Prince Sado and the mother of King Jeongjo. Her gripping memoir offers a haunting glimpse into the ruthless world of court politics during the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, her husband’s plunge into madness and his eventual execution — ordered by his own father, King Yeongjo.
“It was one of the first books ever that made me cry because the language was so vibrant and emotional,” she recalled in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “The version I read was in English. I thought, if it’s this good in English, how incredible would the original Korean be?”
Fast-forward two years, and now a freshman at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Alzari wasted no time signing up for a Korean language course when she learned that the newly established King Sejong Institute (KSI) Center Sharjah was offering classes at her college library.
A month into the class, she is already hooked. “I love how each ‘Hangeul’ (Korean alphabet) word feels like a puzzle.”
Nawara Alzari, a freshman at the University of Sharjah and a student at the King Sejong Institute Center Sharjah / Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol
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The KSI Center Sharjah, jointly established in 2024 by Korea’s King Sejong Institute Foundation and Sharjah’s Department of Government Relations, is the foundation’s first regional headquarters in the Middle East dedicated to promoting the Korean language and culture.
As a “hub center,” it not only offers its own language courses but is also responsible for supporting the operation of 12 other KSI branches across the region and developing Islam-friendly training materials to make Korean language education more accessible, according to its general manager Oh Joo-won.
“Sharjah stood out as the ideal location for our center, given its reputation as the UAE’s cultural and educational hub, home to international book fairs and educational expos,” Oh told The Korea Times.
“And we’ve definitely seen a surge in interest in Korea across the Middle East — from K-dramas and K-pop to K-beauty. Even at the university campus store, for example, an entire corner is stocked with Samyang Foods’ Buldak Ramen products.”
Since opening its doors in April 2024, the center has welcomed over 330 students in its regular courses. In September, 180 participants joined its special two-day Hangeul calligraphy workshop.
Sharjah residents participate in a two-day Hangeul calligraphy course held at the House of Wisdom in September 2024. Courtesy of King Sejong Institute Center Sharjah
A Sharjah resident participates in a two-day Hangeul calligraphy course held at the Expo Centre Sharjah in September 2024. Courtesy of King Sejong Institute Center Sharjah
One such student is Lateefa Alnoaimi, a junior at the University of Sharjah majoring in sustainable energy and engineering. In October 2024, she traveled to Seoul for the Global Green Growth Week conference — an experience she enjoyed so much that she decided to take up the language.
“Now I know how to read Hangeul, which is really amazing. I never thought I’d be able to read Korean,” she said.
“Having a hub like this, where it’s very accessible to the people who love to learn, is really nice. It makes more people excited to dive into it.”
Rows of Samyang Foods' Buldak Ramen products fill the shelves inside a store at the University of Sharjah. Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol
Currently, the KSI Center Sharjah operates out of a modest space within the Women’s Library at the University of Sharjah. Due to its location, only university students are eligible to enroll in its classes — a limitation it aims to overcome this year by expanding to an external venue, making its courses accessible to the wider Sharjah community.
“Furthermore, the UAE is unique in that nearly 90 percent of its population consists of expatriates. Many foreign workers here have expressed a strong interest in learning Korean, with some dreaming of working in Korea one day,” Oh said.
“I hope our center can serve as a bridge, providing high-quality Korean language education and cultural experiences to people of all nationalities in the country.”
Looking ahead, Sharjah is set to build a new cultural complex that will house multiple language institutes in the city, including the KSI Center, Alliance Française and Goethe-Institut, the manager added.