Breaking Barriers: Students Bond Across Cultures at PNUF Festival

Hanafusa Fuka (Dept. of Korean Language and Literature, 24), an exchange student from Japan at Pusan National University (PNU) this year, made new Korean friends at the “PNUF Festival” hosted by “PNUF,” PNU’s foreign education volunteer club. Hanafusa said, “I participated because I wanted to practice speaking, as my Korean is still not fluent. I’m glad I joined because I can study Korean and make Korean friends,” expressing her satisfaction with the event.

At 6:30 p.m. on September 26th, Korean and international students gathered at the 1st floor auditorium and cafeteria of PNU’s Student Union Building 2nd conference room, to enjoy the “PNUF Festival.” Despite the 10,000 won participation fee, about 200 students attended this event, which was organized to provide a place for people from various countries to mingle and interact. The event was filled with activities to promote interaction between Korean and international students, including card games, song guessing games, booth programs, and stage performances.

As the event began, students gathered in groups around the Student Union Building’s auditorium, exchanging light questions written on cards, such as “Is there a place you want to travel?” As they asked about each other and grew closer, at the end of the nearly four-hour event, they were creating memories together, saying, “Shall we take a picture together?” Kim Da-Eun (Dept. of Korean Language and Literature, 22), who participated in the event, said, “While talking with team members using question cards, the atmosphere became comfortable, and it became a time to get close,” adding, “It was the most impressive program.”

Through the booth program on the 2nd floor, students had time to bond even closer. The booths set up in the conference room were prepared with traditional games such as Yutnori, Tuho, Gongginori, and creating cup holders using mother-of-pearl, allowing foreign students to experience Korean traditional culture. When an arrow thrown hesitantly by a foreign student entered the Tuho container, team members congratulated them together, bursting into laughter. Chen Nan (Graduate School of International Studies, 23), who participated in the event, said, “Due to the nature of my major, there aren’t many Koreans around, so it was difficult to meet Koreans, and I wanted to meet them.”

PNUF says there has been a demand for more interaction between the Korean and international students at PNU. For this reason, they allowed students outside the club to participate in the event through online pre-registration. Half of those who attended the event that day non-club members. After the event concluded, PNUF President Kim Se-Hyun (Dept. of Business Administration, 23) said in an interview with “Channel PNU”, “Many people said they were grateful (for holding the event), and I feel proud that the response was good,” adding, “As it was our first event, there were difficulties due to inexperience, but I want to thank the members who worked hard together and the students who volunteered for the event.”

Reported Hwang Ju-Won

Translated by Seo Yoo-Jung