A Korean speech contest was held for the first time in Cuba on Feb. 12. The event, where participants had to answer the question "Why am I learning Korean?" was hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mexico and the José Martí Cultural Center in Havana. Twelve people participated in the finals.

First place was won by a Mr. Diamelliseu from a Cuban news agency. He both studied Korean at a university of translation and interpretation in Cuba and studied abroad in Pyongyang, said, "I've been studying Korean since I was 17-years-old. I began studying it again last year. I'm 60-years-old now, so I believe that studying Korean will be a good way to avoid dementia."



Hanyang University, which planned the contest with the Korean Embassy in Mexico, will invite the winner to Korea this summer and provide a one month cultural experience program.

Cuba does not have official diplomatic ties with Korea. However, interest there in all things Korean is increasing across various fields, including soap operas, cuisine and pop music. For instance, the TV show "Queen of Housewives," first aired in 2013, recorded a viewership of 87 percent in the Cuban market recently. Also, the Korea Cultural Loyalty Club was recently founded and currently has up to 1,000 members.

Finally, Korean instructors from Korea are teaching at the José Martí Cultural Center. In line with this, the Korean Embassy in Mexico will hold a quiz contest about Korea this year in Cuba and host the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) exam where Cubans can gauge their Korean proficiency.



By Wi Tack-whan, Son Gina
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr
Photos: Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mexico