The Korea International Students Association (KISA) held its first annual assembly on April 8, at the Seoul National University Student Union Hall. KISA was created in the spring of 2005, to form close bonds between the international students in Korea and to help them adapt well to Korean society. Currently there are 80 international students in KISA from various countries including Malaysia, Taiwan and Turkey.
The 1st International Students Assembly was held to provide an opportunity for the international students to come together, build friendships and share and learn about different cultures. "We have held various activities since our establishment last year, but this is the first official gathering for all of us," said Tsunoda Kimi (Political Science & Diplomacy, 3), the manager of the campus chapter at Ewha.
A talent show, held at the beginning of the assembly, aroused people's interest, with nine entries participating. The first prize went to a Mongolian artist who performed a beat-box rap.Two Korean-American students who sang "Famous Men" won second place, and seven Japanese students who performed the traditional Japanese drum dance called Hinotori won third place.
Besides the talent show, students at KISA performed an African dance, Samulnori, traditional Korean percussion music, and the martial art of Kumdo. A real carnival atmosphere was formed when all the participants stood up and danced together during the African dance performance.
After the performances, people had a chance to cultivate friendships with others by playing games. Moreover, students prepared traditional food of their home countries, including dishes from the Philippines, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia, some of which few people have had the chance to try.
About 250 people came to the assembly celebrating and sharing their diverse cultures. Kimi said, "They say a good beginning is half the battle and I think we had a pretty good start. But surely there is more to be done and we hope KISA will continue to give more help to foreign students in adjusting to life in Korea."