Actor Song Seung-heon, who was recently appointed as the Korea Foundation’s Ambassador for Cultural Sharing, visited Vietnam on January 8-11 to film a program on academic and cultural exchange between Korea and Vietnam.

“Son Seun-heon!” “Oppa (older brother)!” “I love you!”
The excited fans shouted, though in clumsy pronunciation, at the Korean movie star when he arrived at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Song’s visit and his filming schedule in Vietnam had been kept secret, but the news traveled fast and his fans crowded the airport for a glimpse of him, no matter how brief. Their enthusiasm clearly reflected the influence of hallyu in Vietnam and Song’s popularity as one of its leading stars. With the help of security staff, Song managed to leave the airport and embarked on his mission as a cultural envoy.

Encouraging Korean Studies Students

Song’s first stop was the Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities, one of the most prestigious universities in Vietnam, which has the oldest and best Korean Studies department in the country. Thanks in part to the popularity of Korean pop culture across Southeast Asia, the department is enjoying rapid growth with more than 100 new students enrolling every year. Currently, the school has some 350 Korean Studies majors.

Song paid a surprise visit to the university to express his interest in and gratitude to the students who are studying about Korea. When he quietly opened the door of a classroom where a lecture on “Understanding of Korean Pop Culture (Hallyu)” was underway, students immediately recognized Song and cheered for him in amazement. They asked him a number of questions, in fluent Korean, about Korean dramas, movies, and other genres of pop culture, and Song gladly told them about his thoughts and experiences. Song seemed, in fact, quite surprised to hear the Vietnamese students speaking in fluent Korean. He said, “Oh, it’s almost like I am visiting a Korean university.”

From the classroom Song moved on to a scholarship awards ceremony held at the university, in which he presented scholarship certificates to student representatives in his capacity as the KF ambassador for cultural sharing. The students were thrilled to be congratulated for their academic achievements from a famous hallyu celebrity who has a large fan following in their country. Song’s visit to the university was widely reported by the local media, reflecting the remarkable interest in Korea among the Vietnamese people.

Sharing Food and Love with Children

Just as Koreans first think of rice noodles when asked about Vietnamese food, many foreigners will mention kimchi, bulgogi (beef barbecue), and bibimbap (rice mixed with vegetables and red chili paste) when they are asked what Korean dishes they are familiar with. During his visit to Vietnam, Song enjoyed not only rice noodles but cha cua (fried crab roll) and other Vietnamese court dishes as well. “The rice noodle soup I had here was absolutely different from what I had back in Korea. It was more impressive than anything else. I think I will miss the taste after I return to Korea,” Song said.

While relishing a variety of Vietnamese dishes, Song also faithfully performed his role as a cultural ambassador by introducing Korean cuisine to the Vietnamese people. When he visited an orphanage on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Song prepared several Korean dishes himself for 20 or so children there, such as bulgogi, japchae (clear noodles stir-fried with vegetables and sliced beef) and tteokbokki (rice cake with spicy red sauce).

Song had assumed that the children would love the sweetish dishes like bulgogi and japchae, but he wondered how they would like the hot spicy tteokbokki. Contrary to his expectations, the children immediately fell in love with tteokbokki, which was quickly “sold out.” They seemed to appreciate not only the food but the warmth from his heart.

Experiencing Vietnamese Culture

To fully experience Vietnam through the everyday lives of ordinary people, Song had a tour of Cho Ben Thanh Market, War Remnants Museum, and the Central Post Office of Ho Chi Minh City. He might have wanted to enjoy anonymity for a few hours away from Korea, where such experience is impossible for him. Yet, he couldn’t completely get away from his fans. Local residents and Korean tourists recognized him here and there and asked for his autograph or to take a picture with him.

Song spent a day like a local resident driving himself with his driver’s consent, and looking around Cho Ben Thanh Market, where he bought local fruits and souvenirs. At the War Remnants Museum, which keeps the painful memory
of the Vietnam War, he felt sympathy for the Vietnamese people who share tragic experiences of war with the Koreans. He also stopped by the Central Post Office to get a glimpse of Vietnam’s remaining socialist vestiges.

Though it was a short visit mostly for the filming of a cultural sharing program, Song could take in the life and culture of Vietnam with his mind and body, and also help the Vietnamese become more familiar with Korea’s culture, food, and warmheartedness. Of particular note, the local media were obviously impressed by his personable and easygoing attitude toward everyone, for which he was referred to as “the first Korean actor who made a strong impression on Vietnam.” Indeed, Song successfully fulfilled his role as KF ambassador for cultural sharing and significantly enhanced Korea’s image in Vietnam, where the influence of hallyu is readily evident.

Woo Hyoung-min Media & Public Relations Center