한국어 경연대회

REMARKS BY CONSUL GENERAL YOUNG KUK PARK on OCCASION OF

2007 KOREAN LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE CONTEST FINAL

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

THURSDAY 13^TH SEPTEMBER

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Ladies and gentlemen,

 

It is my pleasure to deliver congratulatory remarks on the occasion of the 2007 Korean Language Performance Contest Finals.  I want to particularly congratulate the eleven finalists on reaching this stage of the contest. 

 

Today, I have a few words for the Korean language students.  As you know, the study of foreign languages confers many benefits.  These benefits range from tangible commercial or professional benefits to more subtle benefits such as a deep understanding and appreciation of foreign culture.  

 

I think foreign language learning brings you new dimensions of experience, because each language has a unique way of describing emotions, thoughts and feelings.

 

In other words, learning a language is not about grammar and vocabulary; it is learning new ｅxpressions and ways of seeing.  And also each language has its own unique taste or flavour. 

 

If I can share with you a little of my own story; over the course of my life I have been fortunate to learn English and Japanese and some French, German and Vietnamese.  During high school, I came 2^nd place in the national German language contest.  

 

When I read books, often times I don’t like to read them in translation, particularly if the original one is in English or Japanese.  One reason for that is the translation is often incorrect and sometimes more difficult to understand than the original and furthermore they have lost their original flavor and taste.

 

Another benefit is a connection with other people.  You are more likely to win the trust and friendship of people you meet if you know their language.  So the conclusion is that learning foreign languages is essential.

 

The next thing I want to say as Consul General of Korea is that you have chosen the right language.   Firstly, Hangul is the most scientific language in the world.  It has 24 letters or characters in the alphabet but in mobile texting it has 17 letters, which is much less than the English alphabet.  With these 17 letters Korean youngsters can send messages very quickly.  If you ride the subway or bus in Korea you will see many people busy on their mobiles texting.

 

Secondly, the Korean language can describe many subtle things such as colors, for example.  In describing the color red, the Korean language has many different descriptions of this color, perhaps ten or more.

 

Third, the Korean population is very large, approximately 80 million strong.  And the importance of Korea in international politics, economics, and in the cultural sphere is growing.

 

In economic matters, Korea represents Australia’s 3^rd largest export market and 4^th largest trading partner.  In the cultural field, you may have witnessed the Korean Wave in China, Southeast Asia and Middle East.

 

Fourth, over 100,000 Korean language speakers currently live in Australia.

 

There could be more reasons that I haven’t listed above. All these facts mentioned above mean there will be many opportunities for you to utilize the Korean language.

 

Therefore one thing I can say is that you will be rewarded in the future.  Your Korean language skills will be much in demand and I hope you will take full advantage of this.

 

Finally, taking this opportunity I would like to thank all of the parties involved in supporting this event in its second year, from the University of Sydney and University of NSW, to the Korean Education Center and the major sponsors.

Thank you.