K-pop motivated us to study Hangeul, contestants say

International student participants talk during the 1st Sejong Hangeul Olympiad, co-organized by Sejong City, the Sejong Culture and Tourism Foundation and Herald Media Group, publisher of The Korea Herald, held on Tuesday in Sejong Special Self-governing City. (Park Hae-mook/ The Korea Herald)

SEJONG -- Interest in K-pop has motivated many students overseas to study the Korean language and its alphabet, Hangeul, according to contestants of the inaugural Sejong Hangeul Olympiad held on Tuesday in Sejong.

For many students, K-pop’s global influence extends beyond music, serving as a cultural link to Korea’s linguistic heritage, they shared.

“K-pop acts as an ambassador for the Korean language,” said the Spicy Samgak Gimbap team of three international students -- Shenkute Rahel Solomon, Lin Yu Wei and Deribe Selome Tesfaye -- during a topic discussion session on K-pop.

“Although I’ve only been in Korea for a year and a half, I learned Korean fast because I had strong desire to understand the lyrics of K-pop songs and dramas,” Solomon said, describing her experience.

Muchkaeva Dzhirgala, a participant from Russia, expressed a similar sentiment, explaining how K-pop initially drew her to study the language.

“I started learning Korean at the King Sejong Institute in Moscow because of my interest in K-pop and K-dramas. I am a fan of Big Bang and BTS,” she said.

The speech session, held as part of a seven-hour competition consisting of multiple rounds and team events, also addressed K-pop’s evolving global identity, with artists increasingly singing in English and incorporating international influences.

“Groups like Blackswan even shoot their music videos in India and feature Indian-style dance,” said Dina Sadap Jahan, from Bangladesh.

Kim Young-sang, president of The Korea Herald and one of the judges for the competition, remarked after listening to the speeches, “Participants described K-pop as not only an ambassador for the Korean language, but also a gateway to connecting with the world. Their insights were truly impressive.”

The Sejong Hangeul Olympiad attracted 105 contestants from 24 countries, who advanced through an online preliminary round. Participants competed in teams of three across four categories: Instagram reels, an "OX" quiz, a topic discussion and a dialect speaking contest.

Alongside the Olympiad, the 2024 Hangeul Run took place the next day at Sejong Lake Park.

By Song Seung-hyun(ssh@heraldcorp.com)