Held Chuseok festival for international students at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul
Experience Korean culture through traditional games such as yutnori and gejichagi
International students participated in various events such as taekwondo samul-nori, traditional clothing fashion show
[Sep 5, 2014]
International students at the YU (President Noh Seok-kyun) Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul had a very special Chuseok.
On the 5th, YU held the 'Global Saemaul Chuseok Festival' with international students enrolled in the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (director Park Seung-woo) for Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving and the biggest holiday of the nation. Over 100 people participated in this event including 70 international students from 31 different countries enrolled at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul, YU Vice President Choi Oe Chool and faculty.
In his opening address, Director Park Seung-woo said, "I hope that through this festival held on the biggest holidays of Korea, participants will have the opportunity to experience and understand traditional Korean culture and once again think about the value of family." He added, "I hope that you create a new community in your new 'home' in Korea and make many great memories."
At the 'Global Saemaul Chuseok Festival' held at the YU Folk Village Gugye Seowon at 11 a.m., students at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul who came to Korea to study the Saemaul Undong, Saemaul spirit, and the economic development and afforestation experiences of Korea had a fun time to understand Korean culture through traditional games such as yutnori, treasure hunts, jegi-chagi, three-legged races, and group jump ropes. International students also took part in taekwondo, samul-nori concerts, saxophone recitals, and fashion shows wearing their traditional clothes to spend the holiday season in Korea.
Yutnori was played on a specially made board with drawings to represent the values of sharing, volunteering and creation needed for the global Saemaul Undong and Saemaul spirit of industriousness, self-dependency and cooperation, as well as the flags of different countries. Through this, international students were able to experience the traditional games of Korea, while also looking back on the Saemaul Undong in the world and the current status of Korea.
Adu Ebenezer Appiah (33, 3rd term in Saemaul International Development Cooperation), an international student from Ghana at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul who attended the festival, said, "I am very happy to have the opportunity to experience the Korean holidays and traditional cultures of Korea while studying here," and added, "Playing yutnori as a team will be an unforgettable experience."
YU Vice-president (Director of the International Development Cooperation Center) Choi Oe Chool who planned the 'Global Saemaul Chuseok Festival' said, "I hope that this will be an opportunity for students who came from different parts of the world to the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul will be able to experience the traditional cultures and holidays of Korea and be able to get a glimpse of the spirit of Koreans, while having a good time experiencing the Saemaul spirit of industriousness, self-dependency and cooperation, as well as the values of the Global Saemaul Spirit of sharing, volunteering and creation through individual and team games."
