KSIF, National Library for Children and Young Adults collaborate on Korean education

King Sejong Institute Foundation (KSIF) Secretary General and acting President Choi Hyun-seung, left, poses with National Library for Children and Young Adults General Director Park Ju-ok pose during a ceremony for their partnership agreement at the National Library for Children and Young Adults building in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of KSIF

King Sejong Institute Foundation (KSIF) and the National Library for Children and Young Adults signed a partnership agreement Wednesday to enhance Korean language and culture learning through the use of multilingual children’s story content.

The memorandum of understanding was signed at the National Library for Children and Young Adults building in Seoul and aims to provide students enrolled in King Sejong Institute programs with access to a library of multilingual story videos for use in Korean language education.

Under the agreement, learners will be able to use a library collection consisting of 358 story videos available in seven languages: Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolian, English and Spanish. The content includes Korean folktales, traditional stories from around the world, and original creative narratives designed to support both language development and cultural understanding.

Officials from both organizations said the collaboration seeks to foster a learning environment that uses storytelling as a medium for language acquisition while also deepening understanding of Korean culture and customs. They noted that traditional Korean folktales contain cultural values and community perspectives passed down through generations, which can enrich learners’ engagement with Korean society.

The multilingual story videos will be accessible through both in-person and online King Sejong Institute centers as well as the online Korean learning platform Nuri King Sejong Institute.

As part of the agreement, the foundation and the library plan to strengthen cooperation to expand the global reach of Korean language and culture programs. Joint efforts will include sharing knowledge and resources for overseas use of Korean reading materials and linking reading-based cultural content initiatives.

“The access to multilingual story materials will broaden the range of Korean language and cultural learning resources available to students and help them connect with Korean culture in a more natural way,” KSIF Secretary General and acting President Choi Hyun-seung said in a press release.

Park Ju-ok, general director of the National Library for Children and Young Adults, said she hopes the multilingual story materials will be widely used in Korean language learning settings around the world and help link language learning with reading and cultural experience.