On the afternoon of December 25, the opening ceremony of the Fifteenth Korea Cheongju youth Chinese language class was held in the presence of the senior officials from Korea and China likeSeo Yongwon, Vice Consul of the Consulate General of Republic of Korea in Wuhan, Kim Eunbae, Director of South Korea Cheongju Overseas Business Office, Yu Feng, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Office (Overseas Chinese Affairs) of Wuhan Municipal Government, Jin Wanchan, Director of Asia Department of FAO of Wuhan Municipal Government, Li Weidong, Vice President of JHUN and other related representatives and volunteers.
Headed by two teachers, the language class made up of 20 Korean students will take courses like primary Chinese spoken language, overview of China, Chinese martial arts Tai Chi, Chinese folk music, Chinese calligraphy and painting in the program. They will also stay with some Chinese families and learn how to make Chinese dumplings to experience Chinese culture at weekends or during New Year holidays.
Vice President Li said the program marked a great achievement in the mutual communication and cooperation between Wuhan and Cheongju since the establishment of the sister city relationship in October, 2000. He extended warmest welcome to the Korean friends and sincerely hoped that the exchange would enhance the friendship between two cities.
Yu Feng, Deputy Director of FAO (Overseas Chinese Affairs) of Wuhan Municipal Government, said that the language program highlighted the key role of the sister city relationship in expanding the city’s international exchange and communication with other people and improving its internationalization level. He hoped the students in the class would act as the messengers of the everlasting friendship between China and Korea.
Seo Yongwon, Vice Consul of the Consulate General of Republic of Korea in Wuhan, highly praised the considerable progress of the mutual communications in the past 17 years since the establishment of the sister city relationship between Wuhan and Cheongju. Seo believed that teenagers’ exchange and communication was an important foreign affair between the two cities and Korea will continue to increase their support of the cooperation between the two countries.
Kim Eunbae, Director of South Korea Cheongju Overseas Business Office said two countries had had positive communications in economy, sports and culture and hoped that the students would take initiative in the exchange activities. He also expressed his gratefulness to JHUN for undertaking the program.The Koreanstudent representative and Chinese volunteer representative also expressed their wishes for the success of the program.
JHUN has received over 400 Korean teenagers in the past 15 years and the program is a platform providing Korean teenagers with opportunities to learn Chinese culture and helping to further the friendship between Chinese and Korean students.
