His Excellency Cho Hee-yong enjoys sharing Korean culture with the students at York Street PS
"To see such a level of participation from the students, enthusiasm for learning, and their keen interest in Korean culture, I can say that it was an amazing experience for us as well."
- Jung Joon Rhee, Cultural and Public Affairs Coordinator, Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada
This is a special year in the relationship between the Republic of Korea and Canada as it marks both the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between each country and the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. Prime Minister Harper has named 2013 as "The Year of Korea in Canada."
In recognition of these anniversaries and the special friendship between Canada and Korea, the Embassy in Ottawa has begun a special School Visitation Program which introduces OCDSB students to many aspects of Korean culture, which includes learning about the symbolism of the Korean flag as well as the country’s history and geography. The students enjoy learning the Korean Hangul alphabet and about Korean customs and lifestyles. Students share their new knowledge by competing in a jeopardy style quiz game.
The increasing popularity of Korean cuisine and the recent enthusiasm for K-Pop (Hallyu) music has attracted the interest of local students in Korea. The students have been very receptive to the school visits by the Korean Embassy staff.
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Many OCDSB staff attend the Korean movie nights held each month
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Thus far, the Korean outreach program has visited three local schools: York Street Public School, Churchill Alternative School, and North Gower/Marlborough Public School.
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Canada, His Excellency Cho Hee-yong meets with the students in their classrooms and always emphasizes the strong partnership between our respective countries. He notes that there are many more similarities than differences between our peoples. His Excellency encourages the students to appreciate the rich and diverse multiculturalism that Canada fosters amongst its citizens.
In addition to the School Visit Program, the Korean Embassy has extended an invitation to all OCDSB staff to attend monthly screenings of a recent Korean film with English subtitles. Each of these movie evenings provides further insight into Korean culture and lifestyle, and most importantly, helps to build relationships and understanding between the local public school board and the Korean community in Ottawa.