Immersion into Korean Culture: The Department of Korean Studies Hosts a Thematic Evening Dedicated to Korea’s October Holidays

On 8 October 2025, the Department of Korean Studies held a thematic cultural event celebrating the richness of Korean traditions. The evening brought together education, creativity, and informal exchange, allowing participants to immerse themselves in both the historical heritage and contemporary cultural trends of the Land of Morning Calm.

Bobryshova A.

The programme focused on three major national holidays of Korea:

• National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol, 개천절)
• Chuseok, the traditional harvest and autumn festival (추석)
• Hangeul Day (한글날)

The event opened with an engaging lecture-presentation prepared and delivered by third-year Korean Studies students Aleksei Grudnev and Elizaveta Belyaeva. In their presentation, they outlined the historical background, cultural features, and modern practices associated with these holidays. Immediately afterwards, participants had the chance to put their knowledge to the test in a dynamic quiz. The most attentive and quick-thinking students received well-deserved prizes for their correct answers.

A central highlight of the practical part of the evening was a calligraphy workshop conducted by Kim Hwan, lecturer at the Department of Korean Studies. Under his attentive guidance, students worked with ink and brush, learning the fundamentals of beautiful writing. At the end of the workshop, three of the best calligraphy pieces were selected, and their authors were awarded prizes.

The cultural programme continued with an introduction to several traditional Korean games, many of which gained global recognition through the international popularity of the series Squid Game. Participants learned the rules and tried their hand at well-known traditional games such as jegichagi (제기 차기), gonggi nori (공기 놀이), biseok chigi (비석 치기), paengi chigi (팽이 치기), dalgona (달고나), and ttakji (딱지).

The event attracted a large number of students from the first through fourth years of the Institute for Oriental and African Studies, confirming the strong and growing interest in the Korean language and culture. We extend our sincere gratitude to all participants and organisers, as well as to our speakers and to Lecturer Kim Hwan, for an inspiring and educational evening.

Below are some impressions shared by the students themselves:

Ester Issakova

1st-year studen

Celebrating Chuseok at the Department of Korean Studies left me with very warm memories. The atmosphere was truly cosy and friendly: we listened to a short lecture by third-year students about Korean national holidays, and Lecturer Kim Hwan led a calligraphy workshop for us. A fun detail: we worked on special mats with ink that appears gradually — it was unusual and exciting.
My most vivid memory is how we tried playing traditional Korean games, including those familiar from ‘Squid Game’. Surprisingly, everything turned out to be much more difficult than it looked at first.
I think this event really brought all of us closer together.

Kseniya Arzamaskova

2nd-year student

I enjoy all the events organised by the Department of Korean Studies. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to gather in an informal setting with students and lecturers of the department and spend time together. After the lecture by our sunbae, it was great to join the quiz, compete with first-year students in calligraphy, and play traditional Korean games with our lecturer, Kim Hwan! I really hope that this academic year the department will hold even more such events — they undoubtedly help create a warm and friendly atmosphere among students.

Yaroslav Ledenev

3rd-year student

I am grateful to my lecturers and fellow students for such a great event! The presentation was very interesting — not only for first-year students, but for upper-year students as well. At the end of the presentation, there was a quiz in which I won some really nice and useful prizes! I would especially like to mention the calligraphy masterclass by our respected lecturer, Kim Hwan. I am very glad I could spend the day both enjoyably and productively.

Thus, the thematic evening became not only an engaging event, but a true bridge connecting theory with practice and tradition with modernity. We are pleased to see such gatherings becoming a strong and meaningful tradition, serving as an endless source of discovery within the multifaceted world of East Asian cultures.