University Festivals

[Anchor Lead]

It’s festival season at Korean universities these days and more and more schools are staging performances by foreign students. The schools say the move is designed to help foster a sense of belonging among the expat students.

[Pkg]

Audience members find themselves dancing along to a performance of vividly colorful costumes and rhythmic traditional music. Foreign students from 17 countries studying in Korea presented a fashion show of their respective traditional attire. This inaugural show at this university is also the main event of its festival this year.

[Soundbite] Student from Nicaragua

Spectators applaud to what's known as a face mask changing performance. This is a special show especially catering to Chinese students who account for half of this school's expat community.

[Soundbite] Chinese Student : "I was so moved. I didn't know this many students would show up. It's great to have such exchanges and sponsorship."

The university has also focused a considerable portion of its yearly festival on highlighting its foreign students, including a Korean speaking contest and a bartering marketplace.

[Soundbite] Lee Yoo-mi(Int'l Relations Dept., Kyungpook Nat'l University) : "I hope the students will be proud to be alumni of our school when they return home or wherever they may work in the world."

Some 100-thousand foreign students are currently studying in Korea. Accordingly, more and more campus festivals are turning the spotlight on non-Korean members.