Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
South African deaf community makes a special connection with Korean culture
LAST month a special and heart-warming connection was forged between the Korean Cultural Centre in South Africa and a remarkable group of guests from the Dominican School for the Deaf.
During their visit, the learners and teachers embarked on a journey through Korean culture. They had a special cooking class making a traditional Korean rice cake dish, songpyeon, in celebration of Korea’s autumn harvest festival, Chuseok, commonly known as the Korean thanksgiving.
The day’s activities also included tours of the centre’s permanent and temporary exhibitions, screening of K-pop music videos, a quiz game about Korea, and a delightful tasting session of Korean dishes.
The visit concluded with a special session where the learners and centre staff engaged in meaningful dialogue.
The learners found out more about Korea and its culture through a Q&A session with the staff, while the centre’s staff, in a heartfelt gesture, learnt basic expressions in South African Sign Language, which recently became the country’s 12th official language.
During this interaction, the learners bestowed unique sign names upon the centre’s staff, fostering special connections that echoed throughout the day.
This visit is a testament to the centre’s ongoing commitment to fostering cultural understanding and inclusivity.
Through its visit programme, the centre has welcomed diverse groups and individuals, including Paradiso
Primary School, the Teachers Association of Sikhululekile High School, the KCC Supporters, Crawford International School, the South African Taekwondo Federation, and the Soshanguve Football Club.
The centre is determined in its mission to continue these programmes, aiming to introduce Korean culture to a broader public in South Africa, and to build bridges connecting various cultures promoting the cultural exchanges.