The first Latvian language speech contest in the Republic of Korea concluded with great success

On December 11, 2024, the first Latvian language speech contest took place at the Latvian Embassy in the Republic of Korea. Students of the Latvian language from Hankuk University for Foreign Studies took part in the event.

Every participant had prepared a speech in Latvian on one of the two provided topics, either describing a location in Latvia they wish to visit or explaining the motivation for learning the Latvian language. The speeches were assessed considering the content, pronunciation, grammar, and the ability to respond to the jury's questions.

Park Pureum won first place and the grand prize, a round-trip plane ticket from Seoul to Riga. Hang Hangyeol received the second-best speech award, while Kim Haenim took third place, with both being honoured with valuable prizes of Latvian ethnic heritage.

The event was organised in collaboration with Hankuk University for Foreign Studies, with support from Dr. Kwon Kyung-Hoon, the Honorary Consul General of Latvia in the Republic of Korea.

At present, the Latvian language is offered as a choice subject at Hankuk University for Foreign Studies, along with an online course available on the Korean education platform ECK. Professor Seo Jin-seok teaches both classes.

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Photo credit: Embassy of Latvia in the Republic of Korea