한국국제교류재단

KF Sharing Hope Trip for Rural Students to France and Germany
From October 27 to November 3, the Foundation conducted the KF Sharing Hope Trip for Rural Students, which enabled students from small fishing and farming villages around Korea to visit Paris, France, and Frankfurt, Germany, to provide the students with a firsthand opportunity to experience world arts and culture. On the trip, I had the chance to visit quite a few interesting places, but the experiences that were most memorable for me were having dinner with the Korean consul general in Frankfurt, visiting the UNESCO headquarters, and performing at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris.

During the dinner with the Korean consul in Frankfurt, the consul courteously answered each of the questions that I had for him. When I asked him about what was the most meaningful thing that he had experienced since coming to Germany, he said that everything he did there was meaningful. This showed me that there are many people who are committed to serving their nation in other countries around the world, despite the difficulties of living abroad. This taught me that I should care about and love my country just as these people do.

Next, we went to the UNSESCO headquarters in France, where the Korean ambassador explained what UNESCO is all about. After seeing an exhibition of pieces that various countries have donated to UNESCO, we also visited the main assembly hall. It was amazing enough to have the chance to see the headquarters of an international organization like UNESCO, but it was even more of an honor to hear about the organization from the ambassador himself, who is on the front lines of Korea’s diplomatic efforts.

Last, there was the orchestra concert, which was the most impactful experience during my trip. I will never forget creating the sounds of the various instruments that combined to weave pieces of music like Korean folk songs “Arirang” and “Doraji,” and classical works like “Hungarian Dance” and “Radetzky March,” in front of a crowd of foreigners at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris. The deep emotions that I felt during that concert inspired me to make a plan for my future. I decided to practice the viola more diligently so that I could major in music when I enter university. Countries and cultures may be different, but music has the power to unite audiences and performers. I felt a huge sense of pride that the foreigners in the crowd were able to learn about Korea through the concert performance.

Until now, I had never really thought about what I wanted to do with my life. I guess I just had a vague idea of studying enough to get into a good university. But through this trip, I was able to discover what it is that I want to do, and my dream of visiting Europe someday also came true. This trip was such a precious memory for me. I believe it was the turning point of my life.

Kim Ga-hyeon
Third-Year Middle-School Student at Sunshim Women’s MiddleSchool, Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province