KOREAN SPEECH CONTEST

[Anchor Lead]

Korean culture such as K-pop, dramas and films are enjoying immense global popularity these days. The love for K-culture and Hangeul, the Korean alphabet may well be more evident among Korea’s foreign residents. A Korean speech contest was held in Incheon, a region that is home to 3 international cities and a dozen global organizations.

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[Soundbite] (Uzbekistan Participant) : "Since my mom returned home a few months ago, raising three kids has been a struggle."

This working mother who's from Uzbekistan is juggling childcare, work and studies.

[Soundbite] (Burmese Participant) : "I’m living the dream of living and studying in Korea. Korean songs have helped when times were tough."

This student from Myanmar who is studying Korean wants to play a bridging role between her country and Korea. Out of the 60-thousand foreign residents and students in Incheon, 12 contestants of the speech contest have passed the preliminary stage to reach the main competition. This girl from Russia talks about how safe Korea is, citing her experience of finding her lost credit card at a restaurant.

[Soundbite] (Russian Participant) : "I heard Korea was very safe. It was more surprising to experience it myself."

Another student dreams about taking a Eurasian railway from Korea to travel the plains across her home country Mongolia.

[Soundbite] (Mongolian Participant) : "I want to freely talk in Korean with people I meet on the train that connects Mongolia to Korea."

Incheon is home to 3 international cities and a dozen global organizations, including the Green Climate Fund. Foreign residents in Incheon are playing an active role in promoting Hallyu or the Korean Wave as they attend various Korean language classes and cultural programs.