KOREA FOUNDATION

Congratulations on winning the grand prize!
1st Prize Winner _Jeon, Yong wook(Teacher, Daegu Hansil elementary school)

What made you participate in the 1st Educational Content Contest for Understanding ASEAN?

Recently, my students and I participated in the “Microbyte Global Challenge”and encountered cases of inequality and racial discrimination. I particularly remember the in-depth stories we shared about the discrimination against migrants from Southeast Asia. Then I saw the announcement of this contest, so I thought, “Why don’t I enter the contest and discuss ASEAN with my students?”

What is the message you wanted to convey?

To prepare for the contest, I started studying about ASEAN. It’s embarrassing, but I realized my own shortcomings because I was unfamiliar with the word “ASEAN”and didn't know much about the ASEAN member states myself. It gave me the resolve to look at ways in which Korea could cooperate with them based on accurate information and a better understanding of ASEAN. I believe we can foster a respectful attitude in our students and make any prejudices they might harbor against ASEAN countries disappear by constantly educating them that all cultures should be respected and that living together in peace is far more valuable than just living by ourselves.

You've already used your lesson plan to teach your students. How did they react?

They were surprised that the ASEAN region represents the seventh-largest economic community in th eworld. As we explored each member country, they showed interest in the countries they had heard of and the ones they learned about for the first time. They soon seemed to drop some of the prejudices they had against Southeast Asian countries. We examined all the fascinating aspects of the ASEAN countries, such as their languages, histories, and cultures, and thought about how we could create a mutually beneficial relationship between Korea and ASEAN.

Could you tell us how you plan to use these educational materials?

Currently, I am introducing the lesson plan and materials I developed to other classes at my school. In the second semester, we decided to take a closer look at ASEAN member states during the social studies class, where we explore different countries around the world.