Foreign diplomats find joy, challenges in Korean culture

By Shim Sun-ah SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- It was a quiet weekday morning in early April, but a lecture hall at the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul was packed with eager minds excited to learn traditional Korean culture. They were young foreign diplomats participating in a Korean culture experience program organized by the Korea Foundation affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foundation invited 38 diplomats from 34 countries to a three-month program to learn the Korean language and culture, which runs from March 4 to May 20. Since 2005, a total of 304 diplomats from 94 countries have taken part in the annual program designed to cultivate experts on Korea among foreign diplomats. While staying in Seoul, the officials in casual attire learned the Korean language; samulnori, a traditional percussion quartet; taekwondo; Korean calligraphy; and K-pop dances. The day's mission was to make their own seal in a traditional Korean way. Set on the tables were a long square-shaped stone, a wooden tool used to fix the stone, a knife and a cotton glove. Kwon Dong-yeon, a lecturer in charge of educational programs for foreigners at the museum, led the seal-making class after giving an interesting lecture on what a seal is and how to make it. "In Korea, seal has legal importance to the state or individuals for it shows who you are and what your social status is. And people used to show their ownership by stamping a seal on their belongings. So people used to carry their seals as an amulet all the time because they thought the seals can protect them," she said through an English translator. "In the past, some people used to carry seals made of a lightning struck jujube tree because they believed these seals have the power to expel evil spirits and bring them good luck. Even today, some local stamp-making shops in Korea sell this kind of lightning struck jujube tree seals at a very high price." The diplomats were then recommended to carve their names in Korean since they were participating in a Korean cultural activity class. They laughed, had a chat with each other, took photos as they designed the surface of their stone stamps. But after the carving began, they were much more focused on what they were doing in order not to get hurt. Some occasionally raised hands to ask for help and ask questions such as how to grab and use a knife or how deep they should carve. With help from the teachers or on their own, the participants successfully completed making their seals. "It was good fun," Meekin Alexander Mark, a graduate trainee of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said. "I don't think I'm very good, but it was interesting to hear the history behind seals and to make one by myself." Novkova Katina Sashkova from Bulgaria was also one of the first to complete a seal. "The experience proved to be very interesting," said the first secretary of the East Asian Department of Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "I realized that it is very hard to make a very nice and good seal." Asked what was the most difficult part in the seal-making process, she wasted no time in answering: "the carving." "The carving was the most difficult part because obviously there is a special technique which you have to follow. The teachers helped us very much. So the result is good," Nokova said proudly showing off a seal with her name in Korean. Tin Win Aung Moe, assistant director of the Permanent Secretary Office of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he is going to use the stamp on postcards and letters to his families and friends while staying in Korea. "Since we are diplomats, we might have a chance to write to our Korean friends and colleagues, too. So we can use it in letters -- After we sign it, we then can stamp our name on the letter as to show friendship to our Korean friends." Casco Jimenez Maria Nataly who introduced herself in Korean also said she had fun in the class. "We were anticipating this class because we wanted to be able to learn how to make our own seals. And personally I'm a big fan of Korean dramas, so I wanted to learn more of Korean culture." Maria Nataly, coordinator of the Bureau for Asia, Africa and Oceania of Nicaragua's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said she will keep the seal as a souvenir from this trip to South Korea. "Whenever I see it, I'll always remember my good time that I have in Korea and enjoy the Korean culture." Kwon, who has taught traditional Korean culture to foreigners for more than a decade, says that locals wonder if foreigners will be able to carve with knives. But the foreigners have a lot of interest in making seals, she said. "Of course, since they are foreigners, they experience difficulty in recognizing Korean characters. They sometimes write the letter 'lieul' backwards, but they find amusement in their mistakes." Aside from the Korean cultural activity classes, the group visited royal palaces, museums, a conventional market, the National Assembly in Seoul, industrial facilities and tourist spots in provincial cities. They have also attended a Korean language class at the Seoul National University Korean Language Education Center (KLEC) every weekday morning except for the days when they have Korean cultural activity classes or tours. "They study the Korean language about 16 hours a week," said Lee Hyun-eui, a lecturer of the KLEC, adding the Korean language course is still under way. "Although they stay for a short period, they will return home with a good impression of South Korea, and some of them will become senior diplomats who could come back," said Choi Jae-jin, director of the invitation and fellowship department of the Korea Foundation. Choi said he is sure they will come to play a crucial role in furthering diplomatic ties between their countries and South Korea in the long term. sshim@yna.co.kr (END)