I am Devi Satriadewi from Indonesia.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is a Korean word that you find interesting?
Devi Satriadewi : The Korean word that I like is Dokdo. It's not only a word that I like, but also a place I want to visit. I think Dokdo is a very charming island of Korea. Although Dokdo means 'a lonely island,' I've never thought of it as a lonely island. There are the Dongdo (East Island) and the Seodo (West Island), and Dokdo is loved not only by the Koreans residing there, but also by all of the Korean people. There are also foreigners who love Dokdo very much as well, so I don't think Dokdo is lonely.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : How well do you want to speak Korean?
Devi Satriadewi : I've taken the TOPIK exam once. I've passed the fourth grade of the intermediate level. My dream is to live in Korea and work at the Indonesian embassy. I believe that if I work there, I'll be able to improve my Korean and also work for both Korea and Indonesia.
I am Jacobi, who lives in the US, loves Korean and improves day by day.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul :How did you come to study Korean?
Jacobi Hollingshed : I think I've studied Korean for about 3 years. I met a Korean friend for the first time in my freshman year in college. As I was hanging out with the friend, I started to think that I should learn Korean. I had a chance to go on an exchange program, and that improved my Korean a lot. It was so fun, and I learned very much.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is Korean to you?
Jacobi Hollingshed : Korean is like a teacher to me. The Korean language taught me a lot of things. It made me think much about self-control and respect, and also that I should never stop learning. And it also taught me that whatever I do, I should see the end of it.
My name is Maryam Ahmadi Jeshvaghane, and I am 18 years old by Korean counting. Also, I am in the fourth high school year. That means I have to take the college entrance exam next year. I currently live in the Iranian capital of Teheran. I've been studying Korean for about 3 years, and I study at the King Sejong Institute. I like learning Korean because it's interesting and I get to learn about Korea's charming and bright culture. Also, the more I learn study Hangul, the more fun it is, and it makes me want to study it more.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : How did you come to take part in the competition?
Maryam Ahmadi Jeshvaghane : I saw it on KBS World. I love the program "Kiss the Radio." I am a fan of Super Junior. Their songs are so good, as are their voices. They are so wonderful.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is your dream?
Maryam Ahmadi Jeshvaghane : My dream is to work for a Korean company. I want to study hard to get the TOPIK certificate and enter a Korean company.
First of all, it is a great honor to my family to be able to speak to you. I am Canadian, and I am 27 years old, by Korean counting. I am currently studying for a master's degree in diplomatic sciences in the Canadian capital of Ottawa.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What do you want to improve about your Korean?
Samuel Gendreau : I want to be able to fluently use more complicated words. Koreans use a lot of Hanja, or ancient Chinese characters. When reading articles, it's hard to understand because of the Hanja. I want to be able to understand such complicated words in the future.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is Korean to you?
Samuel Gendreau : Korean to me is the door that opened the world for me. By becoming interested in Korea and learning the language, I was able to meet a whole new world. For instance, I become more impressed when I understand the lyrics to Korean songs. I learned what great joy it is to learn about a country and understand its culture. I am no longer "a frog in a well," as learning about another culture has expanded by world.
Hello. I am Fleur Chua. I am 26 years old, and I am working.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : You said you want to become an announcer. When did you first have the dream?
Fleur Chua : When I first learned Korean, my pronunciation wasn't very good. So my teacher told me that it would help for me to study the pronunciation of the announcers. That's what I first became interested.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is Korean to you?
Fleur Chua : Korean is my hobby. Whenever I have time on weekends, I don't go anywhere but stay home to study Korean. It's my passion.
I am Klaudia Tomala. I am 26 years old, and until recently I was a student majoring in Chinese. After graduating with a master's degree, now I am looking for a job.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : You are very good at the Korean Pansori and Minyo. Who did you learn it from?
Klaudia Tomala : Two years ago, there was a Gukak class at the Korean Cultural Center in Warsaw. That's when I registered to learn Pansori for 2 months, from a teacher from Korea.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : Do the melodies of Arirang have anything in common with the Polish traditional songs?
Klaudia Tomala : For me, the Korean folk songs and Pansori are very attractive, because they have the special echoing sounds, and special ways to sing. Compared to Polish folk songs, they have a lot of onomatopoeia and mimetic words. Like ajang-ajang, doonggul-doonggul, and duri-doongsil. Such onomatopoeia and mimetic words make the songs more charming and impressive.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is Korean to you?
Klaudia Tomala : Korean is my love. The reason is very simple. The person that I live the most in the world is Korean. It's my boyfriend. Through his eyes, I got to learn about the superb and various cultures of Korea, and I fell in love with him, Korea and the Korean language. The first time he told me he loves me, he said so in Korean, so I can't help but love Korean.
Hello, I am Richard Benitez from Mexico. I am a senior in medical school. I currently work as an intern at a hospital.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : How did you come to study Korean?
Richard Benitez : I studied Asian Studies in my freshman year. I studied about Korea then, and I am very much interested in the Korean culture and the county.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is Korean to you?
Richard Benitez : Korean is like my mother tongue. To me, Korean is the most beautiful language with which I can express my feelings. They say each person's mother tongue is the most beautiful language in the world for them. But I believe that you can also feel the beauty of a language you've learned as an adult. That's why I think Korean is a very special language.
I am Vietnamese, 23 years old, and my name is Ngoc Yen.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : When did you start learning Korean?
Ngoc Yen, Nguyen : I started in the third year of middles school, then quit in the second year of high school, but I've been studying on my own since. I don't get a lot of chances to practice Korean, because there are no Koreans around me, and I have little time because of school studies.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : What is Korean to you?
Ngoc Yen, Nguyen : Korean is my destiny. It's the thing that gives me confidence.
My Name is Haifa Naseeb, and I'm from Bahrain.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : You've made your video with 'promise' as the topic. Do you always keep your promises?
Haifa Naseeb : Yes, I do. I studied hard. I'm actually not very good at speaking Korean. But I made a promise to myself, so I studied hard. Later, I want to meet Korean people and speak with them in Korean.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : You're studying Korean now. Why do you want to speak Korean so well?
Haifa Naseeb : I think the Korean culture is beautiful. I have a lot of respect for the Korean culture. I think it's beautiful and I like it. The food, the language, I like them very much.
KBS Announcer Yu, Jee Chul : You've never been to Korea, right?
Haifa Naseeb : I visited Korea last year. I liked it so much, I want to go again. Korean people helped me a lot. Thank you so much.