KOREA FOUNDATION

Soyoung Kim, Visiting Professor
Korean Studies Department, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

I currently teach as a visiting professor in the Korean Studies Department in the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology at Sofia University, Bulgaria. A Balkan country in southeastern Europe, Bulgaria is famous for rose oil and yogurt, among other things. The country set up diplomatic relations with Korea in 1990 and Korean language education began at Sofia University two years later. Over the past 31 years, Sofia University‘s Korean Studies Department and Korean education in Bulgaria have seen outstanding development. Recently, a gradually growing number of Bulgarians are taking continuous interest in Korea and wanting to learn Korean, riding on the huge popularity of BTS and other K-pop groups among teens and those in their twenties. Through exposure to Hallyu and media coverage, more than a few freshmen students in our department seem to have attained knowledge about Korea and Korean culture, especially popular culture, even before they were enrolled.

My classes are titled “Practical Korean” and “Theory and Practice of Translation,” both of which are compulsory major subjects. “Practical Korean” is regarded as more important than other subjects and I teach it for a dozen hours each week. It isn’t always easy for Bulgarians to learn Korean as the two languages differ from each other in both pronunciation and grammar, yet the students’ zeal and devotion to their Korean studies is truly amazing. In my translation class, students translate various texts such as newspaper articles, documents, proverbs, and literary pieces. Some students have developed an interest in translation of Korean literature during the class and have since become professional translators. There are graduates who have already published Bulgarian translations of Korean literary works.

In addition to these two major subjects, I also teach electives for Korean majors such as “Korean Traditional Music and it Samulnori” and “Hangeul Calligraphy.” “Korean Traditional Music and Samulnori” happens to be the most popular elective for Korean majors. The students express great satisfaction with the class because they not only learn the theory and practical skills of samulnori, Korea’s traditional percussion quartet, but also can perform it on stage during Korean Culture Day and other festive events. I feel grateful and proud when I see many of the students staying behind even after a class is over, saying that they want to learn and practice more. One student said, “The sound of the janggu [hourglass-shaped drum] is like a heartbeat. I really love samulnori.“ “Hangeul Calligraphy” was launched this year to help students who find Korean penmanship challenging, allowing them to improve by practicing to write hangeul correctly and beautifully with a calligraphy brush. It must be quite difficult to practice calligraphy for two hours without a break, but the students never complain and always try their best to improve their writing. It feels both wonderful and touching.

At present, Korean language classes are operated either as regular or irregular courses at four universities and at elementary, middle, and high schools in Bulgaria. As Korean education expands in the country, an increasing number of people are taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), which, in Bulgaria, is conducted by the Sofia University Center for Korean Studies. One’s TOPIK result is considered significant and beginning in 2021, those whose reach Level 3 or higher are admitted to the Sofia University Korean Studies Department without having to take a written entrance test. Korean is also now included as one of the five foreign languages in the Scholastic Aptitude Test for college entrance. Students in the 12th grade must choose one language from Korean, Japanese, English, German, and French for the test.

Sofia University is leading and expanding Korean language education in Bulgaria. I would like to express deep gratitude to the professors and lecturers in the university’s Korean Studies Department, who spare no effort in their Korean language teaching and Korean studies research.