Concordia Language Villages (CLV), one of the world’s largest language immersion education institutions, located near Bemidji, Minnesota, has opened a Korean village after 25 years.
Established in 1961, CLV is a nonprofit language education camp that offers immersive experiences in 18 languages, including Korean, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese.
On July 20, CLV hosted the grand opening of the Korean village, “Sup sogŭi Hosu.” This marks the first time an Asian language village has had its own dedicated facility. The village, composed of four Hanok-style wooden houses, will focus on summer camps and weekend programs centered on Korean language and culture education.
CLV’s Korean program, launched in 1999, previously operated out of borrowed Russian village buildings due to the lack of its own facilities. However, with the global surge in interest in learning Korean and the program’s visitor count surpassing 2,000, there was a growing demand for dedicated facilities.
In 2018, with support from Korean philanthropists like Eun-kwan Park, chairman of luxury handbag manufacturer Simone, and architect Byung-an Yoo, a Hanok-inspired building was constructed.
The opening event featured cultural showcases such as a cooking demonstration by Korean actor Soo-young Ryu and a celebratory performance by singer Chang-wan Kim. Notable attendees included former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens and other key figures from U.S.-Korea relations.
Mary Maus Kosir, Executive Director of CLV, stated, “Korean is our fastest-growing program with an ever-present waitlist. The world needs more global citizens, and this is a unique place where that can be achieved.”
The Korean village currently includes a dining hall, commercial kitchen, administrative offices, two dormitories, and a soccer field.
Looking ahead, the village has plans for a $10 million second and third phase that will add six buildings, including more dormitories, a cultural activity center, a sports center with a traditional archery range, and a Hanok-style pavilion.
Professor Dafna Dahee Zur, an associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University, is leading the Korean Language Village.
In an interview on July 23, Professor Zur, speaking fluent Korean, mentioned, “Interest in Korean continues to grow, and our waitlist is getting longer. Since we admit students on a first-come, first-served basis, some students unfortunately miss out on classes.”
She added, “As the world’s only experiential Korean Language Village, we play a vital role in expanding Korean as a global language and in U.S.-Korea relations. Due to limited dormitory space, we cannot accommodate all interested students. We need more interest and support from both Koreans and Korean Americans.”
The Korean Language Village offers summer camps and year-round programs ranging from one to four weeks for K-12 students. Programs for adults and families are also available.
During their stay, students can naturally immerse themselves in Korean language and culture through various activities, including Taekwondo, traditional fan dancing, calligraphy, and K-pop dance.
For more information and registration, visit: www.concordialanguagevillages.org/languages/korean
BY SUAH JANG, YOUNGNAM KIM [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]
