Interview with CPI alumni
Phyu Wah Zaw Win from Myanmar
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
Hello (in Burmese, mingalaba).
My name is Phyu Wah Zaw Win and I am from Myanmar.
Because of my love for South Korea, I majored in the Korean language at Yangon University of Foreign Languages in Myanmar. I am currently working as a Myanmarese representative at an IT app development company in Seoul.
When did you participate in the CPI program? Also, please explain which institution you were trained at.
My friend in the Korean language department encouraged me to apply for the CPI program. The International Korean Language Foundation (IKLF) invited me as a Myanmarese participant to study the Korean language and culture for six months. I am deeply grateful for the CPI program, as it provided me with a great learning opportunity.
I learned a lot about the Korean culture, which I could not learn in any book. I also completed a Korean language training program at Kyung Hee University.
Although I majored in Korean at Myanmar, the CPI program’s practical language education helped me better understand the cultural differences between South Korea and Myanmar.
The CPI program allowed me to visit a foreign country for the first time and meet various people. Those six months were the happiest time of my life. Based on what I learned from the CPI program, I will love Korea more and try to speak Korean more fluently.
How did the CPI program influence or help you?
I was already falling for South Korea as I have been watching K-dramas, such as Autumn in My Heart and Dae Jang Geum, but the CPI program increased my love for Korea even more. This program helped me to actually visit South Korea, and it encouraged me to return and get a job in South Korea.
In 2013, I was in Tokyo to study Japanese with my sister, but my love for Korea did not falter, so I studied Korean as much as I could and won the first prize at the Korean language essay contest hosted by the Korean Embassy in Yokohama. It meant a lot that I won the first prize among a diverse range of international students.
How long have you been living in South Korea? Could you tell us what inspired you to find a job in South Korea? Also, please share your difficulties or unpleasant experiences in South Korea as well as the good ones.
While staying in Japan, I was still looking for a job in South Korea. I was lucky enough to find a good position and work there from 2016. Other than the cold weather, I am quite happy and satisfied with the overall way of living in South Korea.
In terms of linguistic challenge, I think the concept of batchim (final consonant) in the Korean language does not exist in my native tongue. This makes understanding or pronunciation difficult at times. I also have great memories of my host family in South Korea. They were very kind to me, and they introduced me to a variety of Korean food. I will never forget them.
Please introduce your favorite Korean food and place. This will be helpful for this year’s participants.
I love all kinds of Korean food, except Naengmyeon (Korean cold noodle). My favorite dishes are Doenjang-jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew) and Han-jeongsik (a Korean-style full-course meal). Even though I could not freely travel because of my job, I would like to strongly recommend visiting the King Sejong Memorial Hall in Seoul, the Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, Ganghwa Island, and Sokcho.
The CPI program has been ongoing for 14 years. We expect about 60 participants to come to South Korea this year. As a former participant who lives in South Korea now, is there any advice you would like to provide to the new participants?
The CPI program offers an amazing opportunity to learn the diverse aspects of South Korean culture that one cannot learn in a simple trip. I encourage the new participants to actively and passionately aim to experience and learn the lives of South Koreans, its beautiful culture, scenery, and delicious cuisine as much as they can. I hope that you will learn a lot and achieve your goal through the CPI program as I did.
Is there any project you would like to suggest as part of the CPI program? For example, a mentor–mentee program that connects a new participant and an alumnus like you who lives in South Korea, or a Follow-up workshop program to maintain the network with South Korean experts even after the program. If you have any good ideas, please feel free to share.
Even after 11 years, I still enjoy the ongoing relationships I have with the amazing people I met through the CPI program, including participants from Myanmar and the Philippines, and CPI helpers. I am glad that they all continue as my friends as the legacy of the CPI program.
Maybe, a visiting program of each participant’s homeland might be helpful.
In addition, if the CPI secretariat can arrange a meeting between a participant and an alumnus, it will be a great opportunity for them to share their previous experience and useful advice to each other.
I would like to propose establishing a network of CPI alumni in each country’s Korean Cultural Center. They will be a great resource for teaching the Korean culture and language to those who are interested.
