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Lee O-yong |
Former Culture Minister Lee O-yong was appointed the honorary president of Sejong Hakdang, or the Sejong Institute, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday.
Lee, who served as the country’s first culture minister, will support the “globalization of the Korean language” through conventions and seminars and training Korean language teachers abroad, the government said.
“Language education is more than training, it is also about the delivery and exchange of culture. Sejong Hakdang will lead the promotion of Korean culture abroad,” Lee said.
He also stressed the role of teachers.
“Teachers should teach the soul of Koreans when they teach the language,” he said.
Lee has been recognized for his passion in promoting the Korean language. In 1990 when the Culture Ministry was first established as an independent ministry, Lee designed the principle of Korean language policies by creating a Korean language division and the National Institute of the Korean Language.
He said, “Language should be regarded as culture that everyone can enjoy. One of the basic elements of a culture is language and the root of a nation is language.”
The launch ceremony for the Sejong Hakdang Foundation, which will take over the role of the International Korean Language Foundation, will be held Wednesday at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.
By Bae Ji-sook (
baejisook@heraldcorp.com)
