(Yonhap Interview) S. Korean teacher brings written language to Indonesian tribe

By Kim Ye Ran
SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) -- Several months ago, the Cia-Cia people had no written
language. Concerned about the preservation of their culture and way of speaking,
the Indonesian tribe searched for an alphabet they could adopt as their own.
What they settled on was unexpected -- Hangeul, the centuries-old Korean script,
never before used officially by another people.
Now they're getting their first teacher from South Korea. Jung Deuk-young, 48, is
set to touch down next month in the town of Bau-Bau, located on Indonesia's Buton
island, for a one year stay.
His sojourn in Indonesia means a year away from his family, but Jung said he
could not pass up the opportunity because of his passion for Hangeul.
"I have always been interested in my mother language and take notes every time I
come across a new word or expression," said Jung, who said he has read the Korean
dictionary three times. He also cleared all levels and became a champion of a
prestigious Korean language television quiz show in July 2006.
Jung retired from the pharmaceutical company he has worked for 20 years and
began teaching Korean to foreigners since 2007.
"Teaching has been my passion for a very long time and I am very excited to be
part of a groundbreaking moment for Hangeul and the Cia-Cia."
"The people of the Cia-Cia tribe will be able to write love letters and leave
short notes on the refrigerator after learning how to write their dialect in
Hangeul, and this will no doubt enrich their lives," he said.
Jung was chosen over 26 other applicants by the Hunminjeongeum Research
Institute, a Korean language society that successfully exported Hangeul to the
tribe.
The Cia-Cia adopted the Korean alphabet as their official writing system in
August, marking the first use of the Korean alphabet in a foreign society.
"With Hangeul, the Cia-Cia will not have to worry about losing their dialect. I
believe it will help the tribe both preserve and enrich not only their mother
tongue but their culture as well," said Jung.
He said that language and culture are inseparable, and that the adoption of
letters will help pass down the tribe's customs and traditions efficiently and
accurately to the following generations.
Jung, a certified Korean language educator, will be instructing students at a
public high school. On top of 20 hours of class per week, he will also run an
educational program to train local teachers of Hangeul, and estimates that it
will take a full year for an average student to become comfortable using the new
letters.
"I will try my best to make the learning process fun for the students since
adopting Hangeul is an exciting event for both the Cia-Cia members and me," said
Jung. He also plans to use Korean folk and pop music to arouse more interest
among young learners.
Despite the official adoption of Hangeul by the town of Bau-Bau, there is still
some opposition to the move within the Cia-Cia tribe.
"I have been told that some elderly members of the Cia-Cia do not welcome Hangeul
or any form of letters to transcribe their language. They have much pride in
their language and believe that a writing system is not necessary for the Cia-Cia
dialect, which has survived for centuries without one," Jung said. "It is one of
my duties to bring them around and show them the practicality and beauty of a
written language."
In the span of a year, Jung aims to successfully launch Hangeul in the small
Indonesian community but does not expect it to fully take root in that span of
time.
"Learning how to write in a particular writing system requires the time, patience
and effort of the people. During my stay there, I hope to enlighten my students
on the importance of a writing system and open new doors for their own language,"
said Jung.
Upon his return from Indonesia, Jung plans to publish a book on the spelling and
roots of Korean words, a project that he has been working on for some time. He
also plans to continue teaching Korean language to foreigners so that they can
better integrate themselves into Korean society.
"Korea is rapidly becoming a multi-racial country through international marriage
and the immigration of foreign workers. It is important for newcomers to learn
Korean to establish themselves culturally in their new country, going beyond what
is written in their citizenship documents."
yerankim@yna.co.kr
(END)