Luncheon with local Korean culture clubs in Abu Dhabi highlights cross-cultural exchange and Korea’s cultural outreach.

During a visit to Abu Dhabi, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung hosted a luncheon with members of local university Korean culture clubs and spoke with students about their passion for Korean culture. Attendees included members from UAE University, Zayed University, and Khalifa University, as well as winners of Korean-language speaking contests. Club leaders described ongoing Korea-related activities and exchanges they are pursuing with the UAE.

One highlight of the gathering was the revelation that Yun Dong-ju’s poetry had been translated into Arabic by the clubs, and the Arabic translation was presented to the First Lady. The Arirang Club noted that it was established in 2008 as the UAE’s first Korean-language club and has hosted Korea Day annually since the following year. Khalifa University’s Korean Club described collaborations with the Gwangju Foundation and the Korea Foundation to host an annual Korean Culture Festival, while Jjang Club at Khalifa University spoke about planning and running experience booths based on Korean programs like Squid Game and Running Man.

One student said they were deeply impressed by the Korean drama “Pok-saksoksuda” and felt that its family- and neighbor-centered storytelling resonated with UAE culture, adding that they would like to learn Korean regional dialects such as Jeju. Kim expressed her admiration for the students’ enthusiasm for Korean culture and said that cultural exchange should center on people-to-people connections. She concluded by inviting continued support to promote Korean culture among UAE youth.