[KF Mailbox]Nothing is impossible
Greetings! My name is Jang Won-ki, and I teach Korean language at
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) as part of the Department
of Korean Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies.
With its vast territory and strong economic growth, Kazakhstan is
often called the “giant of Central Asia.” More than 100,000 Koreans,
whose descendants are called goryeoin, were forced to migrate to the
country during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea. Thus, there are many
goryeoin professors among the scholars who have inherited and now
maintain the Korean studies field from the Soviet era.
Professors and first-year students of the Department of Korean Studies
wear traditional Korean hanbok at a meeting with the Almaty Consul
General.
KazNU is located in Almaty, a southern city that formerly served as
the country’s capital and is now its economic hub. KazNU’s Department
of Korean Studies was established in 1994 and some 400 Korean studies
majors have since graduated. At the moment, there are 161
undergraduate, seven master’s, and three doctoral students who are
majoring in Korean studies, Korean language and literature, and
translation and interpretation, respectively. Every year, the
department celebrates the Korean Studies Week, which features a Korean
language speaking contest, a Korean studies quiz show modeled on
Korea’s Star Golden Bell, a K-pop performance competition, and Korean
Food Culture Day, an event through which students can demonstrate
their Korea-related skills and enjoy Korean culture.
Students make gimbap, Korean rice rolls, for Korean Food Culture Day
during Korean Studies Week.
During my early days in Kazakhstan, I often heard the saying, “Nothing
is possible or impossible in Kazakhstan.” Any Korean who has
experienced paperwork in Kazakhstan can sympathize with the negative
connotation of the phrase. Unlike in Korea, where things are often
done quickly, one must spend at least a whole day to get a simple
from official institutions in Kazakhstan. If one is unlucky,
two to three days may pass before receiving the . However, I
gained a new perspective on Kazakhstan thanks to my colleagues and
students at KazNU. While things may be handled differently here than
in Korea, I have come to focus more on the Kazakh-style positive
attitude shown by people who always smile and say “все нормально”
(“everything is okay”), making nothing impossible. Last year, when
classes were conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both
students and professors had a hard time adapting to the new format of
teaching and learning. However, students produced special Hangeul Day
videos with messages showing their love of the Korean language,
exemplifying “все нормально” and its meaning of “nothing is
impossible.” I have had a great time teaching my students and learning
from them.
“My Favorite Korean Words” — students write messages on Hangeul Day.
Three years ago, my students and I went to the exhibition Dokdo:
Beautiful Island of Korea in Almaty. My students, all of whom were
from landlocked Kazakhstan, had never seen the Korean island before,
although it was only present in photographs. We promised to visit
Dokdo someday. As a person whose profession is teaching Korean
language, I hope to find more diverse ways to introduce Korean culture
to my students. I also hope that I can take my students to visit Dokdo
in person—not just through photos—when the pandemic comes to an end.
To the students of KazNU’s Department of Korean Studies, I say:
nothing is impossible and “все нормально!”