British Council Korea’s new director accelerates UK-Korea cultural exchange
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"We have been in Korea for more than 50 years, and I am excited to build on the legacy, but also to develop new opportunities for young people between Korea and the UK."
"If you come to our younger learner classes, you will see that they are not sitting there, doing exams. They are having a wonderful time, singing songs and coloring. And teachers are incredibly experienced in that area, and they know the attention span of a 4- to 5-year-old is about five minutes," she said. "So, we plan a range of activities to keep them engaged and happy."
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Since taking the post of director of the British Council Korea on Aug. 11, Sarah Deverall has been keeping a full schedule, including two major art and architecture events where prominent British cultural figures were in the spotlight.
UK artist Antony Gormley had a major exhibition in collaboration with White Cube and Thaddaeus Ropac during Frieze Seoul in early September, while UK architect Thomas Heatherwick helmed the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism that opened in late September as its director.
“Seoul is now seen as one of the cultural capitals of the world alongside Rome, London, Paris and New York. I think it became a soft power superpower in the eyes of the world. I think this is a wonderful time to be here and to be part of this exciting conversation that is happening now,” Deverall said in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Oct. 1.
“We have been in Korea for more than 50 years, and I am excited to build on the legacy, but also to develop new opportunities for young people between Korea and the UK.”
Before coming to Seoul, Deverall served as the director of the British Council Myanmar after an earlier leadership post in Malaysia. She served in China from 2002 to 2010 in various posts and previously taught English in Italy from 1990 to 2002.
One of the projects she is pursuing in Korea is the Digital Library that offers access to books, comics, newspapers, magazines and academic journals in English. The launch is expected in early 2026. Also in the works are programs to bring people together to discuss the books they read online.
“I am a fan of literature, and I think we have some fantastic English literature. People here probably consume it mostly in Korean, but I would love it if people who are serious about learning English and experiencing culture started to read English books in the English language," she said.
The British Council, which landed in Korea in 1973, works in three main areas — arts and culture, education and the English language. Some of its more recognized programs are English programs for kids and adults, and English proficiency tests the Aptis and IELTS.
“The British Council has this very important role to play as a bridge in the areas of cultural understanding, cultural engagement and education between countries abroad and the UK,” Deverall said.
Cybersecurity and responsible artificial intelligence in education are two of the director's other focuses, and she has been in discussions with the Education Ministry on ways to collaborate in advancing those aims.
“There are several conferences coming up, both in Korea and the UK, where hopefully our Ministry of Education will join forces and pursue a conversation,” she said.
The full-day English program for children aged 6 to 7, known as Kinder Plus, aims to develop not only English skills, but also confidence and self-expression, according to the British Council Korea.
“If you come to our younger learner classes, you will see that they are not sitting there, doing exams. They are having a wonderful time, singing songs and coloring. And teachers are incredibly experienced in that area, and they know the attention span of a 4- to 5-year-old is about five minutes,” she said. "So, we plan a range of activities to keep them engaged and happy."
During her tenure in Korea, which is at least three years, the director said she looks forward to many cultural experiences in the country, with Jeju Island high on her list. As a fan of Korean writer Han Kang, she finished the International Booker Prize-winning “The Vegetarian” in one sitting and is now working on Han’s latest novel, “We Do Not Part,” which is set during a mid-20th-century massacre on the southern island.
“In 2014, we brought Han Kang to the London Book Fair, where she met her translator (Deborah Smith), who would later translate ‘Vegetarian.’ Then she won the International Booker Prize in 2016 and the Novel Prize in literature last year,” she said, highlighting the British Council's role in getting Han Kang's work noticed globally.
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