"I am pleased to have the valuable opportunity to learn Korean and experience Korean culture at a most quintessentially Korean prestigious university."

On June 18, in a lecture room of the College of Education, blue‑eyed students introduced themselves and listened to explanations about the upcoming program, showing strong enthusiasm for learning.

American university students participating in the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program, a major intensive language training program run by the U.S. Department of State, held an orientation and began an eight‑week course in Korean language and Korean culture.

Selected for three consecutive years as the country's only Korean language education institution, Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), with the cooperation of the U.S. Department of State, selected top students from leading U.S. universities, including Stanford University, UC Berkeley, William & Mary, and Fordham University, and will provide instruction through August 14.

Leslie Grothaus (PhD candidate in Anthropology) of Stanford University said, "I have long been interested in Korea and Korean culture, and I am very pleased to be able to participate in this excellent program to experience Korean culture at JBNU. I hope this will be a valuable opportunity to learn about the excellence of the Korean language and Korean culture."

Kim Byung‑yong, Senior Researcher at the Korean Language Institute and director of the CLS Korea education program, said, "The excellence of JBNU's Korean language education program, the dedication of its instructors, and the cultural strengths of Jeonju, a city of traditional culture, combined to earn a positive evaluation from the U.S. Department of State. We will strive to develop an advanced Korean language education and proficiency assessment program so that Korean will be recognized as the most systematic and efficient among the 13 CLS language programs."