The K-Pop wave has been around in the country for quite some time now and it has seen a great transition of followers from different fandoms of teenagers and 20somethings, but K-Dramas, even more so, has dominated the popularity charts for all ages during quarantine. Suddenly, your workaholic dad is kicking off his day by watching Kingdom, and your mom just can’t put her phone away.
Although apart from the entertainment Filipinos are getting, there is quite a problem: Some people hate subtitles. Your parents do, your titas do, some of your friends do, you do. Not to sound smug but there is really no other way to overcome it than learning Korean language. Who cares if you’re trying to learn out of hatred for the—from the words of Academy Awards 2020 Best Director Bong Joon-ho himself—“one-inch tall barrier?” Or because you’re a fan of one too many K-Pop groups and you would want to keep up with the interviews better?
Whatever reason you have other than learning how to say “annyeong” when you travel to South Korea (when the border reopens), you should know that Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines will be offering free language lessons online very soon.
Starting Aug. 6, KCC will conduct a beginner course for those who have little to no background in the Korean language through a special webinar. Classes will run every Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. until Oct. 9. To make the experience more exclusive, you have to register fast as slots are limited to 30 students who are 13 years old and above.
KCC will post the registration link on its Facebook page tomorrow, July 30, so be sure to watch out for it. There is no official word yet on the second run of the class, but KCC will probably host intermediate to advanced courses, or Korean II, after the pilot run.