Korean Students Compete in Latvian Language Contest for the Second Consecutive Year

On 10 December, the Embassy of Latvia in the Republic of Korea hosted the second Latvian Language Speech Contest, bringing together students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who are studying Latvian. The event was opened by Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia in the Republic of Korea, H.E. Janis Berzins.

Participants delivered essays in Latvian on one of two topics: “The Most Notable Latvian Personality” or “What I Would Like to Do in Latvia.” Entries were evaluated on content, pronunciation, grammar, and the contestants’ ability to respond to questions from the jury.

The contest’s first prize — a round-trip airline ticket on the Seoul–Riga–Seoul route — was awarded to An Hyeri. Second place went to Hong Jisu, while third place was awarded to Kim Eunji, who received valuable traditional Latvian gifts.

The event aimed to promote the Latvian language and culture, thereby enhancing Latvia’s visibility in Korea and fostering closer cooperation between the two countries.

The contest was supported by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Latvia in the Republic of Korea, Dr. Kwon Kyunghoon.

Latvian has been offered as an elective course at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies since 2020 and currently has 25 students. Latvian can also be studied through the Korean educational online platform ECK. In both institutions, Latvian is taught by Professor Seo Jin-seok.

Photo: Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in the Republic of Korea